Imperator Creatura
by SummerParamour
Summary: I've always been surrounded by fame and fans, ever since I was seven. But, when I left that life to help Albus Dumbledore fight the Dark Lord, I lost it all. I also gained more than I thought I would. A lot more, in fact. SB/OC
1. Muggle Gone Magical

**Disclaimer: I don't own Dumbledore, Apparation, Lemon-Drops, Lavazza or Converse. All I own is Shane, Josh and Shane's mystery saver. **

**Shane Spencer**

December 24th, 1976

My hood was pulled up over my head, hiding my brown hair and keeping my face shaded as I waited for Josh. My eyes, which had taken a strange golden shade, glowed in the dark. My hands were pushed into my pockets, tapping against my hip in anticipation. I pushed my back against the brick wall, keeping my head down as I listened to the loud music coming from the stadium in front of me.

"Shane?" My eyes flashed up and over to the end of the alley. I stood up straight and waved, signaling him over to me.

Josh was my best friend and my personal assistant. He could do anything if it was for me. He had black eyes and blonde hair that he never bothered to brush. His thin face was covered in freckles that stuck out like a sore thumb. He stood at a monstrous six-foot-three, but he had absolutely no muscle, so he wasn't exactly attractive.

"You got 'em?" I asked, pushing a stray hair back into my hood.

"Yes, but are you sure about this?" He asked in return, pulling a black, leather box out of his backpack. I nodded and took the box from his hands.

"I have to get out." I said as I opened it up and looked at the contents. Inside was a red wig and glasses, plus colored contacts that I didn't need to wear. "Oh, give this to my parents and they won't send you back to California."

"What-?" He asked as I shoved a piece of paper into his hand.

I smiled and pulled my hood off. "It says that they'll never see me again if they do." Then, I tucked my hair into the net and put the glasses on. I threw the wig on over the net and looked at him. "What do you think?"

"You look like someone else, someone not famous."

I smiled and wrapped my arms around him. "I'll miss you, Josh." I whispered as I pressed my face against his chest.

"I'll miss you, too, Shane." He whispered into my hair. I squeezed him one last time and pulled myself away from him, turning and running out of the alley.

I ran for several blocks, having to grab at my wig every now and then to keep it from flying off. The sound of the opening band in the stadium eventually faded to only a soft beat. Sadly, my musical feet had to keep with that beat. My Converse made a loud tapping sound on the pavement as I turned into an alley.

"Huff…Huff…Huff…" Even though I ran and walked for three hours every other day, I was out of shape. My lungs felt like rocks in my chest, pushing at my knees and making them bend. My hands mechanically moved to my kneecaps.

I stuck my hand in my back pocket and pulled out a small map Josh and I had made a few nights before. On it was the location of a payphone and a bus stop, the two most important items. There was also a McDonald's and a Subway, in case I got hungry.

"Let's see…" I whispered as I set my finger on the map and quickly glanced at the name of the street I'd just left. I traced my path and soon found the way to my destination, the payphone. I stuck the mini-map in my pocket and looked up. I took a quick glance at the end of the alley and saw a man.

This man was strange, like loony strange. He wore long, silk robes and half moon glasses over his bright blue eyes. A silver beard swung from his chin, stopping at his knees. A smile sat on his lips at he looked at me over the rims of his glasses. He just stood there, staring at me. Did this freak know who I was?

I looked away and turned, calmly walking out of the alley and back into the street. Then, I began to run. As I ran, I caught glimpses of the man in alleys and shops, and it was really starting to freak me out. I decided it was best to take the long way to the payphone and cut onto one of the side roads.

I stopped when I saw the man standing in my way and quickly turned right, leading myself back to the main road quickly. I looked around and saw the payphone not even four meters away. I smiled and took a step towards it, but when I blinked the man was standing in front of it. I stepped back.

"What do you want?" I yelled at him. My breath could be seen as it raced from my mouth and into the cool, December air.

He smiled and, after disappearing for only a moment, appeared in front of me. "All will be explained once we find a coffee shop." He said.

I took a quick step back. "Wait, we?" I asked as I furrowed my brow.

"Yes, we." He said. He walked past me and looked around, seeing a Lavazza and walking towards it. I stayed put, and he turned around to look at me as soon as he realized I wasn't following. "Come along, my dear."

Something was telling me to stay away, but the rest of me was screaming for me to follow him. It was dangerous, and I was a musician. Hell, I do this sort of stuff all the time.

So, I walked closer to him. We began walking side by side, and it was a little awkward. A very, very uncomfortable silence floated in the air between us. I wanted him to say something, anything. But, he just kept glancing over his shoulder. He was acting as if someone was following us, and it was really bugging me.

We walked inside and the little bell on the door rang. The barista behind the counter barely glanced up at us was we walked in, and nodded at the man before turning around and walking out from behind the counter. He walked to the door and flipped the open-closed sign over so the public knew that the coffeehouse was closed. He ignored us and walked into the back room, leaving me with the man.

"I want answers, now." I said as I glared over at him.

"I realize that you must be flustered and confused, and I shall attempt to explain the matter at hand. But, it is a very serious situation, and a very complicated one at that." He said, gesturing to a table. I sat down and he followed in suit.

"Please, start." I said as I stared into his blue eyes with determination and, just barely, anger. He nodded.

"My name is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, more commonly known as Professor or Headmaster." He said, looking at me over his glasses again. "I run a school you've never heard of. It's titled Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

I caught two words that told me my assumption that this guy was a freak was right.

"Hold it, Witchcraft and Wizardry?" I asked, my eyes holding severe amusement.

"I realize it sounds ludicrous to your ears, and to all of the people you know. But, as I stated before, this is a very serious matter." He said, folding his hand on the table. "Allow me to demonstrate."

Then, he proceeded to pull a long, strange stick from the folds of his robes. I gripped the edge of the table in fear and curiosity, which was a really bad combination. He lifted the stick and flicked the end above the table.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a teapot and two cups appeared on the table, along with a glass plate of sugar cookies and bowl of what looked like lemon-drops. I stared at the food and drinks as he poured two cups of tea and set one in front of me. I grabbed it, but was sure not to drink anything.

"Alright, I believe you." I said in a fast, nervous, shaky voice. "Please, um, continue."

He smiled. "There is a wizard, a powerful one. His name is Tom Riddle, called by many… Voldemort." He said, his blue eyes darkening at the mention of the name. "Most do not speak his name out of fear, but you should not be afraid. This wizard is trying to purify our kind, to kill all of the people born of one wizard or witch and one human. I and several others wish to stop him."

"What does this have to do with me?" I asked, setting the warm cup down on the table in front of me and lookin up at him, seeing as I was rather short for my age. "I'm not of your kind, why tell me of all people?"

Another toothy grin was sent my way, as if he was trying to lighten the mood. "Miss Spencer, tell me, when did your eyes gain that color?"

I thought about it for a little bit. "Just recently, actually." I said, a skeptic look on my face.

"And your canine teeth are sharper than normal, as well?" I nodded. "You may not be _exactly_ like me, but we are alike in so many ways."

"How?"

"There is a creature in the magical world. This creature is rare, and is born human. Only once every century is this creature born. It's called _Imperator Creatura_, translating into Emperor Creature in English." Dumbledore explained. "This creature can control all magical creatures, along with several non-magical, and has other qualities that make it magical. But, the things that distinguish it are its eyes and teeth."

I stared for several seconds, many thoughts running through my mind to try and decide how to feel about this. It landed on denial.

"Haha, very funny. Who hired you, my parents?" I asked as I stood up and glared at him. "I'm so sick of this!" I used my arm to push all of the china from the table and onto the tile floor below my feet. Tea covered the floor, as well as deformed cookies and hundreds of little, yellow dots that had been the lemon drops.

My feet carried me over to the glass door. I threw it open and stomped outside. The air was cold and the sun had set. A light snow was falling from the endless black above my head. The moon barely peeked through the clouds and provided a small amount of light. The only lamppost within five-hundred feet had a flickering light bulb, so my sight was extremely limited.

I took a step forward, but froze in place. The reason: A cloud of black smoke appeared in front of me. A lot happened in the following moment. First, I took a step back and bumped into that Dumbledore fellow. Then, several wisps of silver mist flashed around me, along with several more clouds of smoke. Last, though, and most frightening, colors started to flash around me. There were bursts of red and green more than anything.

* * *

I was crawling to the side, taking anxious glances back at the scene. My hands and knees scraped roughly against the pavement, and I could feel them growing red with irritation.

Suddenly, black smoke erupted from nothing right in my face. I got to my feet quickly and tried to run, but a man caught me around the waist. I looked back at the man that had erupted from the smoke and tried to get a picture of his face. But, his hood was up and nothing could be seen. All I could see was a pair of dark eyes staring at me.

"Tom…" I looked towards the strong voice to see the silver beard (the rest of him was there, too, of course) of Dumbledore. "Let go of her, Tom."

"Shut up, old man!" This man, Tom, had a voice that sent shivers racing down my spine and made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up straight. It sounded like hissing, but it was completely and utterly human. There was a quality that made me feel hatred and fear towards him.

"_Impedimenta!_" I looked past Tom to see yet another man. This one was different from all of the others. He didn't look scared or frightened, mad or angry, he looked determined. The look in his eyes made me feel important.

His brown hair stuck out at odd angles, like it hadn't been combed for weeks. Even though his face looked unruly and homeless, he was well dressed. Not overly dressed, just a sweater-vest and slacks. His most prominent feature, though, was the scar that led from the top of his left eye to his chin. To most people, that scar would've been intimidating. To me, it was a sign of strength.

Tom blocked the bright blue light with a red shield that looked to be made of goop. "_Avada Kedavra!_" A green beam shot from the end of his wand (at least, that's what I thought it was) and hit the man square in the chest.

Time seemed to slow down as the man fell to the ground. Dumbledore grabbed me from Tom's grasp and I stared at the man. His body bent in a strange, unnatural way as he fell. He couldn't… Green light couldn't kill people. And, if he was dead, it was my fault. Tom had wanted me, and he only got at me because I hadn't believed the old man.

"Hold on tight." The words barely registered in my mind, but I grabbed onto Dumbledore's sleeve and we disappeared into thin air.

**A/N: First off, I did a lot of research for this story. I've got a list of spells on my internet favorites! **

**I know, this is a Sirius romance. Where's Sirius, you ask? Well, he's with James, celebrating Christmas. Next thing, don't bother to look up **_**Imperator Creatura **_**on Google. I created the thing, and I even used a bit of Latin. **_**Imperator Creatura**_** means "Emperor Creature." The man that saved Shane from **_**Tom**_** will be explained in following chapters. Oh, and picture him looking like RDJ (for those who are total losers, Robert Downey Jr.), but with the scar. I picture Shane as Emma Roberts, with a few minor changes. **

**Review and tell me what you think! Tell me what you like! Tell me what you hate! Tell me about my mistakes! PLEASE JUST TELL ME THINGS!**

**R&R**


	2. Moony and the Mystery Girl

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sirius Black/ Padfoot, James Potter/ Prongs, Remus Lupin/Moony or Peter Pettigrew/ Wormtail. I also don't own Dumbledore, Slughorn, McGonagall or Binns. The Great Hall is not mine, nor is the Hogwarts Express. **

**Sirius Black**

December 30th, 1976

Prongs and I were fighting to get our heads out the window so we could wave at his parents. Why was I fighting to wave, you ask? Well, that's because they made the last fourteen days the best Christmas Break I'd ever had.

I'd run away from home at the end of last summer, and this had been my first full holiday with the Potter family. Alex and Jo had always been nice to me, but this took it to a whole new level. The elderly couple had welcomed me into their home and acted as if I was James' long lost brother. They gave me gifts and included me in everything (even the all exclusive "family night") they did. I had to admit, it was a great feeling.

But, what made this Break better than all of the others was what my mum sent me. It wasn't even what she sent, it was what Alex, Prongs' dad, did to it.

Of course, mum had sent me a _very_ strongly worded Howler. Even my dad's voice could be heard in the background. She screamed on and on about what a horrid son I was. She complained about the example I was setting for my younger brother Regulus, too. It brought me great pleasure to know she was upset with me. But, I doubted I was setting any kind of goal for Regulus. He was too deep into the hole to be dug back out.

Alex happily tore the Howler up and threw it in the fireplace halfway through the message.

The rest of Break had consisted of joking off with Prongs, playing chess and perfecting our Quidditch plays.

Now, we were headed back to Hogwarts to finish the school year.

"Have a good Christmas, Moony?" Prongs asked as the train pulled out of King's Cross Station and he went to sit across from our friend.

"Actually, I did." He beamed, brushing his overgrown hair out of his eyes with his hand. "The chocolates you sent were greatly enjoyed, Padfoot… in two minutes flat."

"A new record!" I yelped amusedly, throwing my arms in the air. All three of us laughed. I looked over to the window and watched as the train slowly pulled into a thick forest. The trees raced past the window in a blur of brown, green and white.

"I heard Dumbledore was finally back." I looked over at Moony with a look of surprise on my face.

Professor Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts, had been missing all year. Professor McGonagall had substituted the position of headmaster for four months. At the beginning of the year, a daring, second year Ravenclaw had asked McGonagall about him, but she said he was away for reasons that were to remain unknown. I had a feeling it had something to do with You-Know-Who's rise to power.

"You're kidding!" Prongs said excitedly as he crossed his legs on the seat. "Where's he been? What's he been doing? Is he alright? Did he fight You-Know-Who? Is he planning on-?"

"Shut up!" I interrupted as I covered his mouth with my hand. "Moony, if you would continue?"

Remus nodded and cleared his throat. "I haven't the slightest idea." I stared at him with an amused smile on my face. "But, I did hear he brought someone back with him."

"Who?" Prongs again.

"I don't know!" He grumbled. "I would've told you by now if I did." I smirked and looked to the window again. I had a feeling that this person was going to surprise a lot of people. I didn't know why or how, I just had a feeling.

* * *

I walked into the Great Hall first, quickly followed by Prongs, Moony and Wormtail, who had caught up with us as we got off the train.

My first thought was that everything was normal. At first glance, everything _was_ normal. The four, long tables were set on the stone floor and set with golden plates and goblets. The many candles around the room were lit and great fires roared from the torches lining the walls. The sky could be seen above. Dumbledore (for the first time that year) was sitting in his throne-like chair at the head of the teachers' table. The rest of the teachers, Slughorn, McGonagall, Binns and so forth, sat along the table.

But, upon closer inspection, there was one difference. Beside Dumbledore, staring at a small item in her hand, was a girl I didn't know. And trust me, that was strange.

She had dark brown hair that shinned in the light of the candles and the stars on the enchanted ceiling. Even from my position at the opposite end of the Hall, I could see her eyes. They intrigued me, seeing as they were gold. She was pale, and something in her face said that she had seen some things that she wished she hadn't. Her small hand was open, and she was staring at her palm.

"Looks like you were right, Moony." I said as the Marauders sat down at the middle of the Gryffindor table. They all shot me questioning looks and I nodded at the girl next to Dumbledore.

"Who do you think she is?" Moony asked.

"Well, I can answer that." We all looked to Prongs. "That's Shane Spencer. She's a muggle musician." Suddenly, I was very confused. If she was a muggle, why was she at Hogwarts? How was she of any significance to Dumbledore? But, most of all, why did Prongs know her?

The other three seemed to be thinking the same thing as Dumbledore stood.

"Welcome back to Hogwarts," He said raising his arms in welcome. "I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas Holiday. But, it is time to get back into our studying."

Everyone in the room (or at least the people who had noticed the girl) was waiting for Dumbledore to mention her. Everyone wanted to know why she was there.

"For all of our seventh years, dig into your studying and soak up all of the information needed for your N.E.W.T's. For our fifth years, the same for O.W.L's. Now, let's dig in!"

As the food appeared in front of us, air was released. A feeling of disappointment and curiosity hung in the air with the candles. I watched as Dumbledore sat down and looked to the girl. Their mouths moved as they immersed themselves in conversation and Dumbledore patted the girl's hand, the one sitting on the table. She smiled.

"Hey Prongs, how much do you know about that girl?" I asked as I forced myself to look away from her. I waited impatiently for him to chew his chicken leg and answer me.

"More than you want to know," He said, smirking. "I love her almost as much as I love Lily."

I smiled. "Tell us more about her, then."

He nodded and set down his chicken leg and biscuit, clearing his throat. "Shane Spencer was born December 20th, 1959 in California, United States of America. When she was seven, she learned to play the piano and her parents threw her into the music business. After a year in the business, she was very successful. She's played with bands like Abba and the Beatles, and is known for her vocals. She plays piano, violin, cello, saxophone, drums, guitar, bass and keyboard, as well as singing." He stopped for breath.

"If she's so famous, what is she doing here?" Shrugs went all around the table. "Prongs, why do you know all of that? You couldn't even remember my birthday until fifth year."

He shot me a crazed grin, and I couldn't help but to feel a little frightened. "I'm president of her fan-club back home."

"Why can't you memorize the uses of Dittany like that?" Moony mumbled as he used his fork to push his peas around on his plate.

I laughed with Peter, but Prongs and Moony just glared at each other.

As my laughter died down, I felt a pair of eyes looking our way. I glanced over at Shane Spencer to see her staring. But, it wasn't at me. She was staring at Moony. I caught her eye, and she looked back to Dumbledore, glancing over at me every once in a while.

* * *

"Mr. Lupin!" I glanced over my shoulder as a small, first year came running towards us. "Mr. Lupin, there's someone outside the portrait hole that wants to see you." She said in a high voice.

We had been sitting in the common room for roughly an hour. James and I were coming up with new pranks while Moony finished his Charms essay. Peter just sat on the floor, listening intently to our conversations. Every once and a while, Spencer would pop up. Prongs would spout some random facts and we'd then go back to pranks and essays.

"Who is it?" Remus asked as he set his quill down on the table he was working at.

The girl shrugged, her pigtails bouncing around. "I don't know. Probably a Slytherin by the way she sounded." Then, she turned and ran over to another first year girl sitting in a corner.

"Want us to come with?" I asked, a mixture of fear and curiosity in my gray eyes.

"No, no, that's alright." He said as he pushed his chair back and stood up. "I don't think there'll be too much trouble. And, if there is, I think I can handle it."

We all nodded and he flashed a smile before disappearing out the portrait hole. Even as the portrait swung closed, I watched with interest. Why would a Slytherin want to talk to Moony?

"Who do you think it is?" Wormtail asked from his place at my feet.

I looked down at him and shrugged. "It better not be Regulus. That git's caused us enough trouble to last a lifetime.

"Snivellus would be just as bad, don't you think?" Prongs spoke up as he watched Lily talking with Mary MacDonald.

"But, that first year said 'she.'" Wormtail pointed out. I set my mind on female Slytherins. Surprisingly, I didn't know that many.

I shrugged and leaned back in my armchair, staring into the fire that cast a golden glow on the common room.

* * *

After an hour, I'd started to get nervous. Remus still wasn't back, and it was almost curfew. Tired as we were, Prongs and Wormtail had given up on waiting for Moony to come back and let themselves fall into a deep sleep. Frank Longbottom, the fifth component to our dorm, was asleep in his bed with the curtains drawn.

"_Lumos!_" I whispered, my wand gripped tightly in my right hand. In my left hand, I held the Marauder's Map. I lifted the flaps and unfolded the folds, looking for the dot labeled "Remus Lupin." Finally, I found it.

He was on the grounds, slowly walking towards the castle. Beside his dot, though, was another. I took a closer look at the dot and gapped at it. The name below it on the ribbon was "Shane Spencer." The dots stopped in the middle of a hallway, and then parted ways. I watched Spencer's dot as she walked down a hallway, towards Dumbledore's office.

What was Remus Lupin doing with Shane Spencer?

I jumped as I heard the doorknob turn. "Mischief managed." I whispered as I tapped the map. "_Nox!_" The light at the tip of my wand went out and I dropped the objects onto the floor beside my bed. I set my head on my pillow and pretended to be asleep, my arm hanging limply off of the side of my bed.

"I know you're awake, Sirius." I sighed and opened my eyes, sitting up and smiling at him. "And I know you were watching us." He walked over and grabbed the map.

"Well, what did she want?" I asked, leaning against my headboard.

He smiled. "I know why she's in Hogwarts." He said, brushing the hair out of his eyes. "And I know why Dumbledore's been gone for so long." He was quiet.

"Well?" I asked.

"She's an _Imperator Creatura_."

**A/N: Summer Vacation's coming to a close, and my writing time will be cut down massively. I'll only have a maximum of three hours a day! But, I shall continue, and posting good stories shall still be my goal! I've been working hard on the first three chapters, yes, only three. In the next chapter, you learn more about Shane's mystery saver and a tiny bit about what happened when Remus disappeared with Shane. But only a tiny bit! And the next chapter is FOUR PAGES LONG! And that's in size ten! **

**I still want reviews! I still need to know what you think! So, review, and keep reading! PLEASE! **

**R&R**


	3. The Marauders' Secret

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hogwarts, gargoyles, Dumbledore or and of the Marauders. I simply created Shane and Kenneth. So, sadly, I own nothing more than plot ideas, the two characters mentioned above and the concept of the Imperator Creatura. **

**Shane Spencer**

December 31st, 1976

My mind was racing. Like two little cars were in there, flooring it and racing to the finish line. But the finish line was hundreds of thousands of miles away. In one car was my new "friend", Remus Lupin. In the other, Kenneth Ayers. My eyes floated to Kenneth's car and I went through the day he died again.

I glanced over to the small, wooden turtle that hung by a leather rope from the head of my lamp. The turtle that had belonged to Kenneth.

I thought back to Christmas Eve, the day he'd died. So many things had happened that day, but Kenneth's death was the most important, heart-breaking and confusing. Dumbledore said he was only thirty-two years old.

I tried to remember everything Dumbledore had told me about him. Kenneth Ayers, thirty-two years old, married once fresh out of school, divorced with a son he never saw. According to the old man, Kenneth tried to make everything humorous. He was always cheerful. He was brave. He gave his life for someone he didn't know.

I snatched the necklace and stared at it. I felt guilty, as I should. Dumbledore had told me it wasn't my fault over and over, but I refused to agree. I was the reason he had died. If I hadn't walked out that door at Lavazza, Kenneth could still be with us, and I might've actually met him.

I set the turtle down and grabbed the notebook containing the letter I'd written him. I wrote it the day before his funeral and had planned on placing it with him, but decided against it at the last minute.

I flipped the cover open and stared at my handwriting, slanted and written in emerald green ink. The letter was several paragraphs long and explained who I was and how grateful I was for what he did. I told him he was my hero, and I was going to try my hardest to keep him from having died in vain.

I stared at the page determinedly. Then, after several moments, I shut the notebook and set it in front of my on my bed. I stretched to pull open the first drawer in my nightstand. I stuck my small, pale hand inside and felt around for the ink well Dumbledore had given me. I eventually found it and set it on top of the notebook. Then, I stuck my hand back in and found the quill to match, which Dumbledore had also given me. I didn't get it at first, but I soon learned what it was used for.

I quickly uncorked the ink well and dipped the tip of the quill into the emerald pool. I set the tip on the yellow cover of the notebook and quickly scribbled in three words: Letters to Kenneth. I drew a few pictures of turtles (horrible ones at that) around on the sea of yellow, plus a cross.

I smiled sadly at the cover and set my quill on the nightstand.

"Goodnight, Kenneth." I whispered as I pulled my thumb across one of the turtles and smudged its shell. "Sleep well." I set everything aside and set my head on my pillow, my brain shutting down and my eyes falling shut easily.

* * *

I rubbed my eyes as I walked through the stone halls of Hogwarts. I'd only gotten a total of three and a half hours of sleep, so my eyelids felt heavy. Seeing as it was five in the morning, the hall was silent. My Converse made a loud tapping noise on the marble flooring that echoed through the corridors and my hands were tucked into my pockets if they weren't at my eyes.

I stopped in front of the gargoyle that led to the Headmaster's Office. "Petrol." I said the password and the gargoyle nodded at me, the sound of age-old stone against age-old stone coming from its neck in the process.

"Good morning, Miss Spencer." It said as it slid to the side, the grinding erupting again.

"Morning, Tutela." I said as I walked passed it and stepped onto the staircase that moved like escalator, sounding bored. I let a yawn pass through my pale lips as the stairs would around a pillar and eventually stopped at a large, oak door. I raised my fist and rapped on the door three times. They swung open and the familiar, silver bearded old man stood, smiling at me.

"Good morning, Shane." He said, looking at me over the glasses on his crooked nose.

I smiled slightly. "Morning, Professor. Sleep well?" My hand moved to the turtle around my neck and rubbed the smooth wood. It was a newly acquired habit.

"Always." He stepped out of his office and grabbed my arm gently, pulling me back down the stairs. "I'm guessing that you were not so fortunate?"

I chuckled and nodded. "The dreams again." I said as I looked over at him. "Always a bright green light and then Kenneth lying on the ground."

Dumbledore's hand sat on my back, guiding me through the hallways. It would have freaked me out a few days ago, but I had spent so much time with him lately he was like the grandfather I'd never had.

"Your guilt still lingers, does it?" He asked, patting my back soothingly. "Kenneth made his own choice, he knew what he signed up for."

"Yes, but I stepped out that door." I came to a sudden stop and looked at the Professor. "If I would have just believed you, if I would've opened my mind a little bit, he could still be here. I might've met him."

His bright blue eyes bore into my golden ones, pulling out every aspect of my life and twisting it around his frail finger. I stood strong, holding my gaze.

"If he had lived, his life would not have meant anything to you." He said in a calm yet strong voice. "You wouldn't have given him a second thought if he hadn't have died."

I thought about it. When Kenneth died, I was in the process of running from Dumbledore and whatever lies I thought he'd been telling. I stopped and willingly went with in the end, but could it have been because the guilt had already settled on my skin and slowly began to sink into my soul? I had been arrogant enough. Dumbledore was right.

I nodded and walked up beside him again, following him out to the grounds.

* * *

An old, leather-bound book with faded gold writing was held tightly between my hands. I hated the damn book. I hated its smell, texture, look and, of course, the words written upon its crumpled, yellowing pages. Of course, Dumbledore said I had to read it.

The book was titled The Harsh History of the Imperator Creatura. It was all about my kind. What we've done (some good but mostly bad), where we come from and even a little bit about our beginning. Supposedly, the first _Imperator Creatura_ had been born from a wizard and the being titled _Bestia_, meaning animal.

The author of the old, decrepit book, Gruntilda Ciaran, had obviously been racist about my kind. She had called us "filthy, mangy, mutt-like creatures" many, many times in the book. I was neither filthy nor mutt-like. Maybe a little mangy at times, but nothing like her description.

Anyways, I walked into the great hall. Breakfast had just started, and very few people were inside. Dumbledore sat at his regular spot, conversing with Professor McGonagall. Strangely, my seat in between the two had disappeared. I always sat beside Dumbledore.

His eyes moved to me, instantly recognizing the look of confusion. He smiled and looked at the table to his right, and my left. It was the Gryffindor table. I paid more attention to accuracy and found that Remus Lupin was sitting at the table, a _Daily Prophet_ against his nose.

I looked back to Dumbledore with my best puppy-dog face, but his body heaved as if he was chuckling and his hand waved me away. I frowned and progressed to the spot halfway through the table that my "friend" was sitting at.

I sat across from him, slamming the old book down on the table and gaining stares from the few people in the room. "Morning, Remus." I said as I produced a fake smile.

"Good morning, Shane." So we _were_ on a first name basis. He smiled, remaining oblivious to the fallacy that was my mouth. "I don't mean to sound rude, you're always welcome to sit with me, but don't you have a spot up there?" He pointed to the staff table.

"Apparently, not today." I mumbled. I opened the book in front of me to where I'd placed the red, satin marker and grudgingly looked to the top of the left page.

"Might I ask what you're reading?"

I glanced up for a second, and then replaced my eyes on the page. "The Harsh History of the Imperator Creatura." I answered, scanning the page for needed details. "Dumbledore wanted me to learn about myself, but this damn book is making me feel like an outlaw."

He nodded. "I know that feeling," He said. "There are many books out there about werewolves, and more than half are full of discrimination. Just keep your head up and be proud of what you are."

I sighed. I didn't really want to admit it, but he was right. The words in this book that discriminated against me were merely the opinion of the author. I just had to block them out and be proud of myself.

Suddenly, loud voices pulled me out of my thoughts and back into reality. I looked at the large doors to the Great Hall and saw three boys.

The first boy, and the loudest, had medium-grown, black hair. He was tall, but not lanky. In fact, he looked to be quite well built. His grey eyes were full of humor and childish thoughts. Something about him screamed at me, telling me that he was dangerous. By the way he earned nervous glances from most of the girls in the room and furious glares from the rest, I estimated that he was a player.

The second boy, and the second loudest, looked rather familiar. He had shaggy black hair that stuck out at odd angles and his hazel eyes were much like the other boy's, playful and jubilant. Round, wire glasses covered those eyes. He was tall as well, but not nearly and large as the other one. A sense of pride and arrogance floated around him, but I could tell he was a good soul. He had changed (this was just a hunch), but he took it as a process instead of an instant switch.

The last boy, who was silent, seemed to be uncomfortable with the two loud boys. His mousy, brown hair was grown to his shoulders and gelled back. Several warts covered his face. He was short and pudgy, with fat hands and large, watery blue eyes. He was adorable in a really weird, sick way. But, he gave off a feeling that I wasn't quite sure of. I felt comfortable about him, but held weariness in my heart.

The three progressed towards us laughing, and even stumbling every now and then. As they reached us and finally looked at Remus, they noticed me. At first, they all looked confused. Then, the second boy smiled brightly.

"I…" He gasped, staring at me through wide, glassy eyes. "I… Ms. Spencer, I'm your biggest fan!" I jumped. "Moony, how'd you get her to sit here?" Remus jumped now, folding his paper and setting it aside.

"I-I didn't." He said. His eyes jumped nervously around the group. "She just… she just sat here, that's all." I smirked, holding back a laugh, and turned back to my book.

"No one just sits with you, Moony." The first boy said as he sat down beside me. "And people know that she's in _my_ spot." He stared at me.

"Your spot, my spot, Santa's spot, who gives a damn where they sit for breakfast?" I asked, glaring at him.

He chuckled. "I'm just messing with you." He said, pushing his hand at me. "I'm Sirius."

"And I don't care." I shook his hand. "But, you interest me." I spun and looked at the second boy. "You look very, very familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?"

He quickly nodded, but just smiled at me.

"Could you tell me where?"

He squealed (yes, like a girlish squeal) and sat down next to me with interest in his eyes. "My name's James Potter, I'm-"

"The head of the Britain fan club, of course." I groaned, thinking back to my meeting with my British fans. "Now I remember, how've you been?"

"Amazing!" He looked like he was about to faint, and I had to let an amused smile fall onto my face. So far, I liked this one, James.

"That's good." I smiled again and looked down at my book. If things kept going like they were, I wouldn't get to read anything. Or, I wouldn't _have_ to read anything. I smirked and looked back over at James. "So, tell me about yourself."

This time, he _almost_ fell to the floor. The one I didn't like, Sirius, caught him as he slowly inched backwards. And this time, I felt a little guilty. I helped Sirius push James back into his spot.

"He loves you." Remus said as he smiled at his friend.

I glanced over at him, holding onto James' sleeve, and smiled. For the first time in a week, I felt genuinely happy. I didn't know what it was, but something about this group of boys made me want to smile. It made me want to sing.

* * *

The Harsh History of the Imperator Creatura sat on the table in front of me. Every time I turned the page, I heard the binding crack a little more. Soon, this book would fall apart. Oh, please fall apart soon!

I sighed as I turned the page. I would have given anything to be with Remus and James in their classes, but I hadn't shone any signs of magical abilities yet. Dumbledore said once I did something extraordinary, I would have to go into the forest and find a centaur. I had no idea what he was talking about, but it had something to do with my magic.

Anyways, the library was quiet. That ended sooner than I'd expected.

"You're coming with us!" I was wrenched out of my chair (which toppled over) and pulled from the library. I only had seconds to grab my book from the table.

I half ran and half dragged out of the library, earning a glare from Madame Pince. As she glared, I was busy staring at Sirius, who was pulling me by my hand. It made me mad. Yet, something about it was comforting. He had such warm hands. They were soft, too… No, no thinking like that!

"What's going on?" I asked, trying to get my weird thoughts about the boy I despise out of my head.

"We need to tell you something." James said, smiling back at me. "But, we need to be in a secluded area. Because it's a secret."

Suddenly, I was being thrown into a broom closet. Remus squeezed in next, and then James and Sirius. In their midst was the small boy, whose name I'd found to be Peter. My back was against a very uncomfortable shelf and Remus was up against me in the front, so the situation was just downright awkward.

Somehow, he managed to pull his wand (it was now confirmed, I had been right on Christmas Eve) and hold it out slightly. "_Muffliato!_" He said as he flicked the stick. "Only good thing Snivellus has ever done." He smiled at me and I had to smile back. I was glad the closet was dark, and the faint blush that was spreading across my face could not be seen.

"Now, what's this about?" I asked, shifting uncomfortably and accidentally bumping Remus' leg. My voice wavered nervously.

"First, you need to know that I told them your secret." Remus blurted.

"What?" I yelled. That secret was… well, a secret! No one was supposed to know what I was except for Dumbledore. Why had Dumbledore told Remus anyways? Oh, right, he was a… what had Dumbledore called it… lycanthrope?

"We have a good reason." He said, trying to look innocent. He seemed to be shrinking as he was forced to look into my eyes. My eyes. There was a reason he was shrinking. "But, I can't tell you. It has to come from one of them."

I slid (another uncomfortable action) and looked past Remus' upper arm at Sirius and James, Peter hidden behind them.

"Let's get this done quick and easy." Sirius said, smiling timidly (is it possible for Sirius Black to be timid) at me. "We're illegal Animagi."

If I was ever confused, this was that time. First off, what are Animagi? And how could they possibly be illegal? All was silent, therefore no one was answering my unanswered question.

Then, there was light. A wand was in my face, a bright light glowing from its tip. I followed the hand and arm holding it to Sirius. The confused, frustrated look was still on my face as I stared at him and James, catching only glimpses of Peter.

"Animagi are people who can transform into animals." He said, clearing that part up.

"Like McGonagall?"

"Yeah, like McGonagall." He nodded. "But, you have to be registered and undergo lessons with a teacher if you're here in Hogwarts, we did neither." I nodded now, but slowly, still slightly confused.

"Why didn't you? Y'know, register and do lessons?" I asked, looking to James now.

"And this is where it gets complicated." He said, smiling guiltily at me. "Well, unknown to everyone except us four… we help Moony during the full moon every month."

Now I understood. Seeing as my kind could control all creatures, magical and non, I was going to spend every full moon with Remus. It's why Dumbledore introduced us in the first place. It would've been suspicious if I walked into the Shrieking Shack to see Remus with three other animals, but they couldn't just abandon him. The only option left was telling me the secret.

"Dumbledore wouldn't have let us help Moony if we asked him about becoming Animagi, so we did it illegally. It was the only way to be able to help." Sirius explained, glancing at Remus every now and then.

I smiled. "You never appeared to me as sensitive, Sirius." I said, a devilish smirk on my pale face. "But, you all must be really good friends if you're willing to break laws for Remus. I won't tell anyone, I swear on the Devil himself."

"Good, now, I'm very uncomfortable." Remus said, trying to push himself away from the shelf I'd been leaning against minutes before. His chest was pressed against it and he was trying hard to keep his face away from a rather dirty mop.

I nodded in agreement and the door opened, letting the five people inside flood out.

**A/N: Extremely long, extremely troublesome chapter. Of course, it was very… interesting to write. I have a feeling this story will end up being at least twenty chapters long, seeing as we still have the rest of 6****th**** year and all of 7****th****, plus a few months after Hogwarts. And, I'm thinking about an alternate ending. I already have the entire thing planned out, but I had an earlier concept that I abandoned. Anyways, I'd like to thank Sam for all of the help she's provided. The story wouldn't be as is without her! **

**KNOWING WHAT YOU THINK IS IMPORTANT! So…**

**R&R**


	4. Quidditch and the Werewolf

**Disclaimer: I don't own werewolves, the Shrieking Shack, any of the Marauders or Hogwarts. All I own is the idea for the story and Shane. **

**Shane Spencer**

January 5th, 1977

My hands were gloved and tucked into the pockets on my coat, yet I was still shivering. A black beanie was pulled over my ears, and a scarf around my neck. I hated having to wear all of this clothing. In California, I rarely had to wear a sweater. Here, I was going to be dressing like this for at least two more months.

Remus walked beside me as we made our way to the Whomping Willow. He looked absolutely dreadful all that day, and he explained to me that it was because of his "furry little problem." Today was the first day of the full moon. It was also the first time I would try to contain Remus' actions while out of his mind.

"Could they be any louder?" I asked as I glanced over my shoulder. Nothing _seemed_ to be there, but I knew James, Sirius and Peter were hiding beneath a cloak that made them invisible. I still didn't understand how it was possible. But, then again, I thought nothing that happened here was possible.

"Trust me, they could be a lot worse." Remus whispered, dragging his feet in the snow. He stumbled slightly and I reached out.

In the past five days, I'd become a lot closer to Remus and his friends. Every free period they had was spent with me in one place or another. James didn't appear to faint when I talked to him anymore, but if I touched him we were in trouble. I still didn't like Sirius, but it wasn't hate.

Out of all of them, though, I liked Remus the most. He wasn't annoying, he was funny and he could always help me if there was something I didn't quite understand. He also seemed to be the most responsible Marauder (why the boys called themselves that I'll never know) and the most apt to get good grades.

"Are you alright?" I asked as I helped him regain his balance.

He nodded and gestured to keep walking. I obliged, but kept a careful hand on his arm just in case. We made our way up to the tree and he stunned it, only murmuring the incantation. I helped him inside and we followed the long, earthen tunnel. When we reached the halfway point in the passage, the boys came out from underneath the cloak.

"Good to see you're still coming." I said as I glanced back at them, Remus' arm now around my shoulder.

"Oh, shut up." Sirius snapped as he grabbed Remus' other arm and pulled it around his own shoulders. "We need to hurry, the moon's about to rise." We all quickened our pace, and were soon safely inside the Shrieking Shack.

"Set him down there!" James yelped as he pointed to a couch in a secluded corner of the room on the top floor. "Shane, do you know what you're doing?"

I looked over at him. "Truthfully, I have no idea!" I choked the words out. "Dumbledore said it would come to me eventually." He nodded and I looked to the other two.

Sitting on the floor in front of me was a large, shaggy, black dog. It was staring at me playfully, its tongue hanging out the side of its mouth. I almost swore I saw it smile.

"Go, get out of here!" I yelled at it. It stared at me for several seconds, and then jumped to get its front paws onto my shoulders. Then, I understood. As I looked into its eyes, I remembered what the boys had told me almost a week ago. Animagi. "I'm guessing you're Sirius." He barked and licked my face. I pushed him away from me and wiped my face free of saliva. "Sirius, that's gross."

"Augh!" I looked over at Remus, watching his face change and lengthen. His body was changing, and I watched with horror. This had been nothing like I thought. I wanted nothing more than to help him, but I couldn't do anything until he was in full werewolf form. "Gah!"

Then, a large, light brown thing was sitting on the couch, curled up in a large ball. I took a cautious step toward my friend.

"Remus…" I said as I slowly walked to his side. He looked up at me, and I could barely tell that it was my friend. He looked like Sirius' dog form, but without all of the fur. His short ears stuck up until he saw me, in which they folded backwards. The only thing that made it seem like Remus was the bright blue eyes.

He whimpered and sniffed at me. I was a little unsure of what to do, at least until he used his nose to push my hand onto the top of his head. I scratched behind his ear and looked over my shoulder at the three animals that were watching curiously.

Now, there were two more. A deer and a rat, which sat atop the deer's head. Sirius padded towards me, earning a growl from Remus. I sat down beside the werewolf and watched as he laid down, setting his chin on my knee. I set my hand on his head and smiled slightly.

"It's alright, Remus." I whispered softly, stroking the little fur that was there. "They won't hurt you."

He whimpered again, and quickly raised his head to his own arm. He bit down and I reached over. I pulled his arm out of his mouth. This time, I was the one earning a growl.

"Easy, Remus!" I said as I stood up and jumped to the side. I didn't really want to wake up tomorrow morning cut and bruised.

I watched with fear in my eyes as he lifted himself off of the couch and walked on all fours to the door. He burst out and I looked over at Sirius, who barked and ran after him. I followed him and soon found myself in the Forbidden Forest.

* * *

I was sitting next to Sirius (who was human again) behind a tree, our breathing heavy. Our shoulders rubbed against each other, and it was irritating my extremely sensitive skin. But, I was too busy breathing to move.

We'd been tailing Remus for hours, keeping him in check. It was hard, running after them. All four of them had four legs. I only had two, making me much slower. Of course, Sirius had been doing a lot more work than any of us, so he was breathing just as hard.

"Is he like this every full moon?" I asked as I looked over at him, searching around in case Remus was anywhere close.

"No, most of the time he's calm and we don't have to do any running at all." He answered.

I nodded, setting my head against the tree behind us. "What do you think is going on?" I asked, pulling my gloves off and unbuttoning my coat. "You know, with Remus?"

"It's just the fact that there's someone new." He said, smiling over at me. "He was just like this when we accompanied him for the first time last year."

I stared at him, my chest slowing down slightly. My eyelids felt heavy and they started to weigh me down. I rubbed at them with my fists, and listened as he chuckled beside me.

"Don't worry, the sun should rise soon."

I sighed and stared at the place the sun had raised in my two weeks here. I wanted it all to be over. I wanted to see the real Remus again. I had so many questions for him about werewolves. I also had questions for Dumbledore. I wanted to know what made my kind so much different from normal humans.

Then, there was warmth. Sunlight on my cold, red cheeks. I sighed and smiled happily, and then remembered Remus.

"C'mon!" I yelled as I got up, forgetting my gloves and running into the forest. I searched for the familiar sandy, brown head of hair through the snow and trees, and soon found him.

He was curled up in a ball in the snow, and he was shaking. I ran over and helped him sit up. "Are you alright, Remus?" I asked.

He nodded, and then looked down at him arm. I saw the holes and remembered how he'd bitten himself.

"We should get you to the hospital wing." I whispered. Again, he nodded. I wrapped his right arm around my shoulders and hauled him to his feet, soon gaining assistance from Sirius and James. The sun had only just risen, so we were sure that there were no students wandering the halls.

We didn't see any students as we made our way through the castle to the fourth floor. I was left alone at the entrance to the Hospital Wing, James pulling out his cloak and covering himself along with Sirius and Peter. I understood. They shouldn't have been with Remus at all tonight.

"Madame Pomfrey." I said as I helped Remus into the Wing. She was sitting on one of the many white beds, a book in her hand.

"Have a rough night, Mr. Lupin?" She asked as she set it aside and quickly strode over to us. A smile was on her face as she grabbed onto his arm and helped me lead him to one of the beds.

"Actually, it wasn't… that bad…" He mumbled, his eyes slowly beginning to close as he lay down. I smiled and stepped away from the bed to let Madame Pomfrey get a better look at his wounds.

After several moments, I sat down on the bed beside Remus' and looked out the large windows. The sun was peaking over the tops of the trees and sending monstrous shadows across the grounds. For the first time since I'd met all of the Marauders, I was glad I didn't have to go to classes and I could sleep in.

"You _will_ be helping him tomorrow, won't you?" Madame Pomfrey turned to me again, a hopeful look on her elderly features.

I smiled. "Of course," I grinned. "I wouldn't leave him hanging like that." She nodded and turned back to him. I stood and walked to the other side of the bed, bending down so I could look Remus in the face. "Night, Rem." I said as I brushed his hair out of his eyes.

"Night, Shane." He whispered, smiling at me.

Then, I stood and quickly walked out of the Hospital Wing. Lucky me, the portrait of Professor Emeric Switch that led to my bedroom hung on the fourth floor.

"It's rather late, is it not, Miss Spencer?" Professor Switch asked me as I walked up in front of him.

I smiled. "Helping a friend." I answered before reaching beneath the portrait and flipping a switch that opened up the portrait hole. "Night."

"Goodnight, Miss."

* * *

It was Saturday afternoon, the day after the full moon had finally ended. The past three days had been extremely hard on all of us, but Remus was worst. He was extremely tired and had used it as an excuse to skip the Quidditch match that night. I was a little upset that he wouldn't be there to explain the finer points of the game to me, but decided it was a way to get a little closer to the smallest and most quiet Marauder, Peter.

I was currently walking down to the Quidditch Pitch with Peter at my side, talking about Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. I was interested in the candy because I'd never heard of such a ludicrous idea as bogey flavored jelly beans. Peter just seemed to enjoy talking about any type of food.

"There's even a head lice flavor!" Peter squeaked happily as he ate the tip off of a Licorice Wand.

"How do they even know what head lice taste like?" I asked as I stared at the Pitch. It was captivating, especially to me. Normally, I'd abhor sports. But, wizard sports sounded _so_ much better than baseball and soccer (called football here) ever had.

"I heard they have hundreds of wizards eating strange things in the factory!" He smiled up at me, shoving a chocolate frog into his mouth. I smiled back down at him, and then looked back to the Pitch.

Flags of all the house colors could be seen waving in the air from their respectful towers, and the golden rings that James had explained to me were like goals glinted in the afternoon sunlight. Tiny little figures were racing around the air, and I knew one was James and another was Sirius.

"Oh, the game's starting!" Peter yelled. He grabbed my sleeve and pulled me through the gates that led to the large Pitch.

In that second, my breath was taken away.

The Pitch was beautiful, with at least ten colorful towers representing the houses: silver and green for Slytherin, gold and red for Gryffindor, yellow and black for Hufflepuff, and bronze and blue for Ravenclaw. The grass was green and hidden underneath a thin blanket of white snow, adding to the beauty.

Then, I noticed Sirius looking at us. He quickly flew over and landed beside us.

"Hello." He said as he smiled, tugging at the sleeve of his red robes. He looked nervous, fidgeting with any piece of equipment he could get his hands on.

"Padfoot, I'd love to stay and chat with Shane, too! But we have to get on the field!" James yelled over all of the bustle of the match.

"Wish me luck." Sirius smiled one last time before flying back into the group of fourteen people flying around on magic broomsticks. I smiled and watched, at least until Peter tugged at my sleeve. I looked down at the squat boy and watched as he walked over to the benches. I followed after him, eager to see what _really_ happened during a Quidditch match.

**A/N: Oh, what wonderful things I have in store for Shane. I would tell you what they are, but then there wouldn't be a point to the story, right? Anyways, I'm hoping everyone is in character. I've been known (at least in my mind) to remove the characters actual personality and replace it with what makes them fit into the story. But, I will tell you one thing. Expect confusion, drama and the unexpected. And, a little extra tidbit of information, each chapter will either be in the view of Sirius or Shane, never anyone else. And always for the entire chapter. So, hope you enjoyed it!**

_**Still**_** need to hear what you think! Remember, reviews are the best form of love! **

**R&R**


	5. Imperator Creatura

**Disclaimer: I don't own Quidditch, Hogsmeade, Tomes and Scrolls, or Hogwarts. The Marauders are not mine (sadly), but Imperator Creatura is completely my idea. **

**Sirius Black**

January 15th, 1977

A week had passed since the Quidditch match (which we won) and it was the first trip to Hogsmead after Christmas Break. As always, James had asked Lily who pointedly declined. Moony never asked girls out because of his condition and Peter just wasn't a babe magnet.

I, on the other hand, had many, many choices. Normally I would find some random, pretty girl and ask her at the last second. But not this time. No, this time I was going to hang around the other four, meaning Prongs, Moony, Wormtail and Shane. Yes, it was Shane's first trip to Hogsmeade, and I was determined to take her to every shop and pub there was.

Moony, on the other had, wanted to just visit a few shops and hang around the Three Broomsticks all day long. We hadn't even run this idea by Shane yet. And when I say "this idea," I meant the entire idea of Hogsmeade.

"What do you mean you're not going?" I asked (more like whined) when we saw her that morning in the Great Hall.

"I can't go, I have… me lessons with Professor Dumbledore." She said, finally looking up from the large book she read almost every hour of every day.

"Awe…" Prongs whined from behind me.

"Prongs is right… awe…" I said, putting on my best puppy-dog face. "C'mon, be a Marauder for one day! Skip your lessons!"

"I can't." She groaned. She slammed her book shut and glared at me. "Those lessons are helping me control… myself."

I went straight to the staring contest, her gold eyes boring into my grey ones. I was a pro at this by now, seeing as we had staring contests every day. My hands supported all of my weight as they pushed on the table and I could feel my eyes slowly trying to close themselves.

"Please…" I whined, keeping my eyes wide open. "Please, please, please, please, _please_…" My eyes were getting wet, but only because I'd never kept my eyes open for so long.

She was silent. "Fine." James and I nearly jumped and screamed, but we didn't. "But, I'm going to write Dumbledore a note telling him where I am and why I'm not there."

We all quickly nodded in agreement and she quickly wrote the note.

* * *

The look on Shane's face was priceless as she happily sipped at the mug of Butterbeer clenched in her small, pale hand. She was staring at the butterscotch-colored drink with a large smile and an extreme amount of fascination. She had been completely flabbergasted when we told her there was a small amount of alcohol in the drink.

"I wonder if I could get the house elves to make this for me…" She muttered, a look of pure determination on her thin, pale face.

I chuckled. "I'm sure they could, with a great amount of schmoozing."

She glanced up at me for just a moment and then went back to her Butterbeer. "Schmoozing…" I heard her mumble, obviously trying to keep it from everyone's ears.

"You're obviously forgetting who she is, Sirius." James piped up from his wooden chair beside Shane. "She could order them to make it for her. I'm sure they'd be happy to oblige."

"That's not the way it works!" She said grumpily, a look of guilt on her face. "I can't just order them about."

We all watched her intently, waiting for her to explain her powers to us completely. She just sat there, looking innocent and occasionally raising her mug to her pale lips.

"What?" She asked, glancing around the table nervously.

"If it doesn't work like _that_, then how _does_ it work?" James asked, staring at her with interest. I set my elbow on the table and set my chin in the palm of my hand, finding this little exchange _extremely_ interesting.

"Well, nothing like that." She set her mug down and stared at everyone. "For starters, I can't _make_ them do anything. I can only convince them to do things. Then there's the fact that some are too stubborn for convincing, making it impossible for me to do anything."

"So you can't order a Hippogriff to let you ride on its back?" Only Peter would ask such a question.

"Of course not, but they do welcome me with a low bow before I even have a chance." She looked smug. "They smell the difference in my blood from miles away."

"Difference in your blood?" I asked, a look of shear fear on my face.

She smiled. "Yea, somewhere around the age of fifteen, a toxin in released into our blood. It's why our eyes change color." Again, she looked smug. "It also smells, looks, feels, and tastes different, our blood does."

Gulps went around the table, and I felt as if I'd heard too much. I was actually slightly afraid of Shane now. Not only that, but she wasn't entirely human. Even more reason to hold onto a certain fear.

She looked amused as she grabbed her mug and sipped again, her arm hanging leisurely over the back of her chair.

"It's funny how surprised you all are." Her smirk was bothering me. It looked devilish all of a sudden.

"Well, _Imperator Creatura _aren't studied in Hogwarts, seeing as there's not really a need." Moony said as the look of fear left his face completely and smiled. "But, I truthfully wish it was. I find it all _very_ interesting."

Then, the two were lunged into conversation. Moony had all of the questions and Shane had all of the answers. For a moment, a thought crossed my mind. Not a logical thought, but a thought none the less. What if, and this _is_ _just_ _a thought_, Moony and Shane had been meant for each other. Destined to meet. It made me shudder, and I didn't know why. Maybe it was happiness that Moony had finally found someone he could relate to, or something completely different from happiness. I had no clue what so ever.

I was pulled out of my mind when Prongs brought up a wonderful idea. "Let's go to Zonko's." He'd said, a devilish smile coming to his face. Rounds of agreement went around the table and we all stood, Shane quickly drinking the last of her Butterbeer. James happily paid for everything and we left the Three Broomsticks.

Once again, we were trudging through the dirty slush, the cuffs of our jeans soaking themselves in the process. Shane and Moony stood beside each other, conversing about her kind. The more I heard of their conversation, the more interested I became. Both the topic and the _way_ they talked to each other were interesting to me.

Of course, Shane's mind left the conversation as we entered the joke shop. Her gold eyes lit up as she stared at all items and pranks along the shelves, her jaw hanging slack.

James wasn't even near us anymore, and had most likely gone looking for a prank to play on Snivellus. Peter had gone to the small section of joke candy and Moony was watching Shane with interest, just as I was.

"This is the Marauders' sanctum." I joked as I grabbed her arm and pulled her further into the shop.

"I can see why…" She grabbed a random object from the old, decrepit table in the middle of the room and stared at the label. "Wartcap Powder?" She asked as she looked up at me. I just smiled. She grabbed another little item. "Dungbombs?"

"Now you understand." I said as I left her side to look for the selection of Ton-Tongue Toffee.

* * *

I was silent, standing behind Shane as she attentively searched the shelves in Tomes and Scrolls, the bookshop in Hogsmeade that I'd never once been inside. We'd been in the shop for nearly an hour, so James and Peter had found a book that would distract them and sat down at the small, rotten table in the far corner of the shop. Moony, however, was eagerly helping Shane look.

My eyes scrapped over the rows and rows of books. My nose had wrinkled as I breathed in the smell of age old parchment and rotting wood. The shop was centuries old, having been established in 1768. So, it was really (I'm trying to put this nicely) elderly. No one ever came inside, seeing as most students spent Hogsmeade trips doing something _fun_.

"Are we almost done here?" I asked, my patience beginning to wear thin.

Shane glanced back at me. "No, not until I find another book about me." She replied, turning back to the bookcase. "I'm almost done with The Harsh History of the Imperator Creatura."

I groaned and pulled a random book from the top of the shelf. The cover was dark purple and I could make out brown writing that must have once been the title. It was now too faded to read. The spine, though crisp, was in perfect condition as if the book had never been opened. That is what caught my interest.

I pulled the book open to random page in the middle of the yellowing pages, which just happened to be the title page of "Chapter 17." My eyes wandered the page, looking for evidence as to what the book was about. It was a section beneath a subtitle that caught my eye.

_The _Imperator Creatura_, though normally kind, can be a very vicious and fearful thing. Their emotions run very high and can cause severe injury when they wish to. _

_When maddened or upset in any form, their powers run amuck and they are no longer control. Creatures of all size and shape would normally swarm and attack with anything but mercy. _

_Their magic would also reign over their senses. In pure rage and recklessness, windows would explode, the ground could shake and there could possibly be severed limbs lying around the area they'd been standing. _

_There have been roughly twenty recorded deaths caused by _Imperator Creatura_, but it is suspected that there have been many more. In the early fifteen-hundreds, they were used as weapons of mass destruction. This adds nearly hundreds if not thousands to the victim toll. _

I stared at one, single word on the page for several seconds: deaths. Was it possible that Shane had caused one of these deaths? I doubted it, but the fear still crawled into my throat. She was still dangerous.

I found myself wanting to know more about the girl in front of me. So, I shut the book and folded it under my arm, using my open hand to fish out the pouch I carried my spare change in. I then left Shane and Moony searching the shelves, walking to the front desk.

"How can I help yeh, my boy?" The old, decrepit man asked as he flashed a horrid smile.

"I… I'd like to buy this." I said as I stared at the holes left behind from missing teeth. His straggly, thinning dark grey hair fell in front of his wild eyes as I held the book out.

The old man stared at the book for several seconds before wrapping his frail, shaking fingers around the binding. He glanced at the cover, and then back up at me. "That'll be twenty Galleons, my boy."

"Rather expensive book, isn't it?" I asked, rather appalled. Yet, I pushed my large hand into the small, blue-velvet pouch and pulled out twenty golden coins in several bunches.

He looked at me with interested eyes. "This book is very, very old. Possibly more so than your headmaster." He said, a smirk playing on his lips. "This book has a mind of its own."

I thought for a moment that the old geezer was insane as he set the book in front of me, grabbing the coins I'd set down. But, the way his black eyes shinned told me something else. I grabbed the book and watched as he waddled away with a terrible limp.

I pulled my wand from the folds of my robes. "_Reducio!_" I whispered as I tapped the cover of the book. It shrank quickly and I shoved it into the pocket of my coat. Then, I walked back to my spot behind Shane and Moony.

"Sirius Black bought a book?" Moony asked with a mixture of amusement and terror on his face, looking from me to Shane.

"I never thought I'd see it." She joked, smiling back at him. They both looked to me for an answer.

"It was interesting." I shrugged, and the two broke out in merciless laughter, rolling on the rough, brown wood of the shop's floor.

I decided that, at least for the time being, Shane was as harmless as a fly.

**A/N: Well, there you have it. School's started again and my mom decided I was spending too much time on the computer. I CAN ONLY BE ON FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF NOW! Of course, I get three hours on weekends, so I'll be writing most of my stuff then. I've been getting into the Jumper series now. GRIFFIN RULES! Ha, eat that David fans. ^_^**

**I**

**Need**

**Reviews**

**!**


	6. Late

**Disclaimer: I don't own werewolves, Hogwarts, the Marauders or Dumbledore. Centaurs aren't mine either. I do, however, own Shane and Sapio. **

**Shane Spencer**

May 1st, 1977

January, February, March and April sped by, and I was slowly learning to gain control of myself. Dumbledore and I held lessons in the Forbidden Forest three times a week, but three nights a month were reserved so that could I help Remus with his furry little problem. The werewolf seemed a little more used to having me there along with his animal friends.

However, my mind was wandering today, and the fact that it was the beginning of the full moon had slipped my mind.

Something peculiar had happened that afternoon while I was in the library, waiting for Remus, Sirius, James and Peter to get out of classes. I had been reading something random, having finished The Harsh History of the Imperator Creatura and the single, lone book I'd found in Tomes and Scrolls ages ago. Then, even though it could've been a draft, the pages of the book flipped quickly and the book shut itself right when I thought about how boring the story was.

Even as dinner rolled around and the sun began to slowly set, there was a feeling in the pit of my stomach. I had hidden myself away in my bedroom, hiding from everyone, especially my friends. I didn't feel well. My stomach churned and my head was pounding.

I was now standing at the gothic style window, staring out at the grounds as the sun slowly sank. The large, pine trees of the Forbidden Forest cast a single, dark shadow across the now green grass. Small piles of snow sat against the castle, where it was shaded all day.

I sighed and thought about who I could talk to about this situation. I had five options, Dumbledore, Sirius, James, Peter and Remus. I hardly knew Peter, so he was out of the question. Dumbledore would most likely start talking in some sort of code or hypothetical sense, so I wouldn't go to him. James and Sirius would just tell me I was hallucinating. Remus was the only plausible advice-giver.

That was when I remembered where I was supposed to be. I glanced up at the sky, but could see no moon. There was also no sun. It was possible that I still had a few minutes.

So, I tore myself from the room, head and stomach aches forgotten. My Converse-clad feet tapped loudly against the stone of the halls as I raced past students and teachers alike.

"Slow down, Miss Spencer!" McGonagall had yelled, even though I'd passed her long before. Of course, her voice didn't even register in my mind.

Eventually, I made my way into the Whomping Willow (with great effort and the sports skills I didn't know I had used to get past its branches) and was running down the passageway. I hadn't run this much since… ever. It was at least a half a mile through the castle alone.

I threw the door open, looking upon the room that Remus always transformed in only to find it empty. The room had been scathed even before I came along, but it was in ruins now. The small coffee table was on its side and several other pieces of furniture sat in places they didn't normally sit. The faded, amber drapes were torn down the middle as well.

I cussed under my breath and quickly turned around, racing from the room. I'd missed them. So, I ran back through the passage and quickly into the Forbidden Forest. I could hear the fight much before I saw it. Growls and barks and howls rang through the forest with a vengeance.

Then, I saw it. James and Sirius were rounding the large werewolf in the center of their circle. Sirius had a limp on his front left paw, but it wasn't as bad as it could've been. James had a large, thick streak of red on his right shoulder.

Sirius' eyes flashed to me and he did the most stupid thing he'd done since I met him, and that was saying something. His body changed and he was suddenly human again.

"Where the hell have you been?" He yelled, anger flashing in his normally playful eyes.

I was about to answer, when Remus looked away from me and back to Sirius, who was too busy glaring at me to notice.

"Sirius, look out!" I screamed as my legs moved accordingly. Remus was slowly treading closer to his friend, and Sirius had finally noticed.

The look on his face made me go even faster. His eyes, that had just been full of anger and hate, had shifted to fear. He feet shuffled as he inched backwards, staring up at Remus. Thankfully, I made it in front of him right before the giant creature raised its hand and threw it down at lightning speed.

At first, I thought nothing had happened, that it had stopped right before it hit me. I closed my eyes and silently prayed, even though I hadn't ever been to church.

Then, I felt the searing, ripping pain in my abdomen. My eyes flashed open and I carefully set my hand on the spot that was sore. I looked down to see what I realized was blood. Up until the point in time where my eyes had changed, my blood had been red. Now, however, it was dark purple, like eggplant.

My eyes unfocused and I looked up at my surroundings as everything went fuzzy. I watched the werewolf in front of me squat down and stare at me guiltily.

"It… It's alright… It's alright, Rem…" My words came out in barely a whisper as I fell to my knees. By now, everything was just fuzzy blobs. I couldn't even see shapes anymore. I felt something wet against my face and heard a weak whimper come from a close by thing, most likely Remus.

Then, I fell face forward, struggling to keep my eyes open. The blobs of color began to darken, and everything was black. Small sounds could be heard, but those were soon gone, too. I was unconscious.

* * *

My eyelids were heavy, and I didn't really want to open them. I could hear soft voices beside me, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. The voices were all too familiar, though. Remus was closest, then Sirius and James, with Peter behind them.

"She hasn't woken yet?" This voice was familiar, too. It was Dumbledore.

"No, not yet Professor." Remus' voice was harsh and raspy. He was quiet, too. I could already tell that he felt guilty about what had happened.

"I'm sure she'll forgive you, Remus." It was Dumbledore again.

"No she won't!" He yelled. "Look at what I did to her! She could've died, Professor!"

"You're forgiven." I said, opening my eyes only slightly. I coughed, having not used my voice in what I guessed was a very long time. I felt pain in my stomach again and groaned.

"Slept well, have we?" Dumbledore asked, smiling down at me with those bright blue eyes of his.

I scoffed, earning another stab of pain. "I wish." I said, smiling back at him. "How long have I been sleeping?"

"Two days." Sirius said, jumping up beside Remus and kneeling beside me. "Madame Pomfrey actually considered sending you to St. Mungo's. She was kind of afraid that you'd… change."

"Oh…" I whispered. I knew what he meant. "I… I won't, will I?" This time, it was Remus who answered me.

"No," He started. "You forget that you're not human?" I could still hear the guilt in his voice. I wanted him to forget it all, that way he wouldn't be so pained.

"If I'm correct, you all have classes to attend." I looked over at Dumbledore, afraid that I'd be alone with Madame Pomfrey.

"Actually, Professor, I have a free period." I smiled over at Remus, which he returned meekly. Dumbledore only nodded and escorted the other three out.

It was silent, no words were exchanged for several seconds. But, it was comfortable. Everything with Remus was comfortable. It was like he just understood me.

I sighed and tried to push myself into a sitting position with my back against the headboard, earning fearful glances and a hand from Remus. He stood and helped me sit. Then, he turned and grabbed an ice pack from the bedside table.

"Madame Pomfrey wanted you to hold this to your… ah, wound." He said, holding it out for me.

I smiled and took it from his hand. "Thank you." I set it on my stomach and immediately felt relief. The warm, irritated muscles in my abdomen unwound and cooled off. I sighed with a slight smile.

"I'm… I'm really sorry…" He said, sitting in his chair again.

"Oh, cut it out!" I groaned, glaring over at him. "You weren't in your right mind. I don't even think of that werewolf as you, because it's not!"

He stared at me. Several times, he opened his mouth to say something, but closed it before he could.

"Now that that's out of the way, there's something I need to ask you about." I said, carefully rubbing the ice pack over the sore areas on my tummy. "It's also the reason I was late yesterday."

"Well then, spit it out!"

I smiled. "I was in the library yesterday-"

"What a surprise."

I glared. "Anyways, I was in the library reading… it was so boring I can't even remember what it was. But, halfway through the book, it just sort of… shut on its own."

He stared at me. "Shut on its own?" He asked, a gentle smirk on his lips. I nodded, waiting for him to say something. "And it was hardcover?"

I furrowed my brow and nodded slowly.

"I think I have your answer." His smile was something that confused me. It was genuine and truly brilliant. "I think you've finally found your magic."

* * *

Twigs cracked and broke underneath my small feet as I progressed further and further into the Forbidden Forest. It had been two weeks since Remus had struck me, and I was fully healed with the exception of a bright pink scar reminding me everyday of the danger that surrounded me.

As I paced further and further into the darkness, I heard a lot of different sounds. But, there was only one sound I was listening for. And I heard it when I was a few hundred feet in.

The sound of hooves on dirt echoed from behind me. "Humans are not welcome here." I spun on my heel and saw exactly the… thing I was looking for.

"I'm not human." I said as I stared kindly at the Centaur.

He seemed weary. "Prove it." He shuffled his hooves in the dirt and stalked forward slowly, now closer too me than the others.

I nodded and reached into my pocket, immediately finding the Swiss army knife Dumbledore had found for me. He told me they would need proof. I opened the blade and pressed the sharp tip into the tip of my thumb, eggplant-colored blood immediately springing from the small wound.

The Centaur stepped closer to me and roughly grabbed my hand, squeezing my thumb. I winced in pain, but it didn't even cross the Centaur to look up. When he saw my blood, however, everything changed.

"I see." He said staring down at me with eyes that burned holes into my skin. "I suppose Dumbledore sent you to find your wand?"

I shrugged. "I dunno, did he?" Honestly, I didn't know. Dumbledore had said nothing about a wand, he just said that the Centaurs would know what to do.

The Centaur sneered at me, and then quickly turned. He clomped away from me and back towards the large group of horse-people. "Are you coming, foolish child?"

I nodded and ran to catch up with him, following him through the crowd. We walked through the forest silently, and it was making me slightly nervous. Where we were going and why was a mystery to me. So, I was relieved when we finally stopped.

"Sapio." I stared at the young Centaur in front of me. He, like all the other Centaurs, was built well with pointed ears. His black coat shinned, even though there was no light in the Forbidden Forest. He had short, brown hair atop his head. From what I'd read, it was rare for Centaurs to have short hair.

The young Centaur looked up, his eyes quickly shifting from the one beside me to myself. "Ah, it's you!" He yelped with happiness as he stood and galloped closer to me, grabbing my right hand in both of his.

"You know your job, my son." I watched as the older Centaur quickly left me with the younger one.

"Ah, I think it is wise to introduce myself." My eyes flashed back to the young Centaur in front of me. "I am Sapio. I know who you are, but your name is not quite clear."

"Shane." I said, smiling at him. I liked Sapio. "My name's Shane."

He nodded and pulled me closer to the large tree he'd been previously sitting beside. It was then that I noticed the cavity between two of the large roots. It was completely dark, except for a single, golden dot in the sea of black.

"Well, then, come Shane." He said, slowly stepping through the large hole. I carefully followed and gapped at the space around me.

The cavity led to a large, sodden room. Shelves lined the dirt walls, all of them filled with books that looked hundreds of years old. There were several tables, stacked pile high with books and trinkets like the ones Dumbledore had in his office. On the back wall, instead of shelves, was a board sporting several different knifes. They all had intricate handles with stones and plants set into them. I had to gawk for at least a moment.

"Admiring my handiwork, are you?" Sapio asked, pulling a pile of what looked to be leather bound journals from a wooden chair. He set them down on a small table and walked over to the board.

"You made these?" I asked as I strode to stand beside him, staring up at the beautiful works of art.

"Oh, indeed." He said giddily. "Which one do you like the most?" I scanned the wall. Blue was my favorite color, so the minute I saw one with a blue stone inlaid in the handle, I had to point at it. "Then that is the one I shall use." He grabbed it and pulled it down from the wall.

"Let's see here, I see balance… Practicality too. Oh, and lots of promise. I do believe this calls for Maple." I was confused at these words as he circled me.

"Um… what are you talking about?" I asked.

He smiled. "Your wand, silly." He yelped, leaving me by the board of knives and going to a shelf on the right side of the room. I listened as there were grunts and the sound of sticks tapping against each other. When he emerged from the shelves, he had a pile of sticks in his arms. Somehow, he moved books from a table and set down the sticks. He picked one up, stared at it for a few seconds, and then tossed it over his shoulder. He did the same thing with at least ten more sticks, and then finally settled on one.

"This is the one, yes?" He asked, looking up at me.

"Sure…?"

He smiled and then laid down on the dirt floor, setting the blade of the knife on the stick and beginning to cut into it. The further he progressed, the more entranced I became. And, by the time he was done, I was staring at the most beautiful, perfect item I'd ever seen. When he gave it to me, my hand tingled and felt really warm. It was my wand.

**A/N: So, there it is. I enjoyed writing about the Centaurs, although I didn't know how long they lived. Sapio's name came from the Latin word Sapiens, meaning wise. He'll pop up again throughout the story, at least as I've planned it so far. I didn't really explain the look of Shane's wand because there's nothing to explain. It's just a long, plain stick. It will be explained to better detail latter on. ****I'd like to thank AuntMo and CuteLikeMomiji for **_**REVIEWING**_**. I'm falling a little behind in my writing, but ideas are swelling in my oh so imperfect and messed up head. THERE ARE GOING TO BE A LOT OF TWISTS! ENTER REGULUS BLACK!**

**Reviews are love! ^_^**

**R&R**


	7. Bean Bludger and the Actor

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Marauders, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Dumbledore, the Quidditch World Cup, Exploding Snap or Pumpkin Pasties. All I own is Shane Spencer and the names of Mr. and Mrs. Potter (the latter was not mentioned yet). **

**Sirius Black**

August 14th, 1977

The five weeks previous to Shane getting her wand from the Forest flew by. We spent many late nights in the dormitory with her, teaching her random spells. She was a natural with a wand. There was hardly a spell she couldn't overcome.

When summer struck, I found it hard to leave her behind in the castle with Hagrid, Dumbledore and Filch. Dumbledore and Hagrid weren't that bad, but Filch scared me a little. I knew I would miss her.

And when Peter and Remus came over for a few days a week after school was out, we all felt like a piece of the Marauders' puzzle was missing. We still had a ball, don't get me wrong. We just didn't have as much fun as we would have if she were there.

So, we sent her a letter. Lucky us, we got a reply the next day. The day after we got her reply, Remus and Peter had left and I wrote a response to Shane. She's been keeping tabs on us through me since then. Every once in a while, James would write something to her, but it was mostly just us two.

"Sirius, two more letters for you!" James yelled as he dragged himself into the kitchen. He tossed a dirty piece of folded paper at my head along with a bright white envelope. I, using my Beater reflexes, snatched them out of the air and looked at the familiar handwriting on the dirtier one.

"What's got your knickers in a twist?" I asked as I flipped it over and pulled the string off.

"Look at this…" He slid a bright white envelope across the table. I grabbed it and stared, finally seeing what he was talking about. Inside the envelope was a gold and red badge, the words "Head Boy" sprawled across the top.

"Well, it's official." I said as I held it out to him. "Dumbledore's lost his marbles."

"I can't be Head Boy, I'm a Marauder!" He yelled, throwing himself into the chair beside me. He set his head on the kitchen table and groaned.

He began beating his head on the table. "Well, you could always use it to get closer to Lily." He stopped and glanced over at me, a devilish smirk forming on his face.

"You're right, thanks Padfoot." Then, he was standing and back up to the room we shared.

I smiled and opened the letter. The now familiar, emerald handwriting scrawled across the page. There were at least four paragraphs. Something exciting must have happened.

_Sirius-_

_Well, I'm glad that your summer is going well. Of course, you didn't mention how much you missed me in your last letter. I know, I'm impossible to live without. But, you'll survive for another three weeks._

_As to my lessons with Dumbledore, I'm progressing. For the past week and a half we've been working on transforming. It's harder than you and the others make it seem. I've gotten the nose of a dog, the legs of a cheetah and a bunch of other parts. Plus, I can now turn into a full rat. I'm the female Peter!_

_I spend half of my free time in the library, looking up spells to make everyday life a little easier. Dumbledore helps me with that every once in a while, too. I cast a mean Hair-Loss Curse. _

_The other half is spent in the forest with Sapio. He loves watching me cast spells. I don't get how someone saying Lumos can cause a Centaur to go crazy with excitement. _

_I'm guessing the school lists have arrived by now. A little birdie told me James was Head Boy. How does he feel about that? I heard Lily was Head Girl, so it can't be too bad for him. Oh, and tell him, if he wants to get on Lily's good side, that he has to settle down and be her friend first. _

_One more little piece of news. Starting in September, I'll be attending classes with you. At least, Dumbledore said I'd have several classes with the Marauders. There are a few I can't attend, like Care of Magical Creatures. Dumbledore wants to keep my… talents… a secret. _

_Missing you and all of your troublesome habits,_

_Shane_

I smiled at the letter and folded it. I shoved it into the pocket of my jeans so I could write back later. Then, I looked over the bright white envelope. It was sealed by a red wax-stamp with the letters A.B. inside a circle. I immediately knew who it was from, seeing as I'd received a letter from the same person a year ago.

I pulled the seal off and opened the envelope, pulling out a thick piece of tag board and another, smaller envelope with a Quidditch seal stamped on the front. I opened the smaller envelope to find six tickets to the Quidditch World Cup. It was being held in Ireland this year.

I looked to the tag board and read my Uncle Alphard's small, scribbled handwriting.

_Dear Sirius,_

_Having a good summer, my boy? Your mother's been on my tail for the past twelve months. I'm about ready to stun her. _

_How are all of your little friends? I hope James is doing well. And, while thinking about you and your friends, I had an idea. _

_Enclosed in this letter are six tickets to the Quidditch World Cup. I was intending to go with a few of my colleagues, but your grandmother has fallen ill and I must stay home to look after her. There should be enough for you and all of your friends, plus James' parents for supervision. _

_Enjoy the match,_

_Uncle Alphard_

I grabbed the tickets, both envelopes and the letter and quickly stood from my spot. I ran through the living room and over to the stairs, taking them three at a time.

"Hey Prongs!" I yelped as I threw open the door to our bedroom and ran inside. I jumped on top of him and held out the tickets. "Look at what my Uncle Alphard sent!"

He grabbed the slips of smooth paper and stared at the symbol on the top. "Quidditch World Cup?" He yelled.

"What's going on in here?" We looked at the door to see James' dad, Alex.

Alex was older, but looked younger than most wizard parents. He had unruly, jet-black hair, just like James. In fact, James resembled his father a lot. They had the same cheek bones, the same chin and the same ears. There were really only two differences in them. Alex didn't wear glasses and had blue eyes, instead of James' hazel.

"My Uncle sent tickets to the Quidditch World Cup, can we go?" I asked, jumping off of Prongs and getting on my knees in front of him.

"Sirius, they're your tickets." He said, grabbing my elbow and pulling me to my feet. "Do what you want with them."

"Alright!" James yelled as he stood up and raised his hand. I hit mine against his.

"The match is next Friday." I said as I looked at the tickets in my hand. "I have two tickets left after I take away the four for you, me, and your parents."

"So, it's a choice between Moony, Peter and, if Dumbledore will let her, Shane."

I nodded in agreement. "I'll go write each of them." Then, I was sitting at the desk, my hand writing a mile a minute.

* * *

It was Wednesday, two days before the Quidditch game. The day before, Moony had shown up with his mum. Today, Shane was supposed to show up. Peter had wanted to come, but his mum had fallen ill and he decided that she was more important.

So, Moony, Prongs and I were sitting in the living room, engrossed in an intense game of Exploding Snap. I kept taking eager glances out the window, hoping to see the familiar brown hair, gold eyes and pale skin that belonged to (it had been decided and made official earlier in the summer by the Marauders) the fifth Marauder.

"She'll be here soon enough, Padfoot." Moony said, setting one of his many Exploding Snap cards on the table.

"I know that." I said, following in suit.

"Then why do you keep taking nervous glances, just in case?" Prongs asked, a smirk on his face.

"Simple, I miss her." The two stared at me, their eyes wide and their jaws hanging slack. "What?"

"You… miss… her…?" Moony asked, putting all of his cards on the small table we were sitting around. He set his hands on his knees and smiled at me. "Oh, I knew it was only a matter of time."

"Don't get the wrong idea." I growled, tossing one of my cards at him. He dodged it and grabbed one of his own, throwing it at me in return.

"Guys, mum won't be happy if her living room's scared for life." Prongs yelped as he jumped up from his chair and grabbed the cards from the dark-blue carpet. "And I'll be the one to get in trouble because Moony's a guest and you're giving them tickets to a Quidditch game." He glared at me.

I just smiled at him and began to clean up the cards. Moony's hands joined in and, soon, the cards were in their package.

As I stood, I took another quick glance out the window. Nothing was there. I sighed and pushed my chair in, walking over to my favorite armchair and throwing myself into it. I watched Prongs walk into the kitchen, and saw a flash of blue out of the corner of my eye. I looked back out the window to see two people, one tall, thin and old. The other, medium height, thin as well and young.

"Shane!" I yelled, jumping from my chair and racing to the front door. I threw it open and out of it, not even bothering to close it as I ran out. I stopped for a second on the porch and stared at her.

"Sirius!" She yelled as she saw me. I smiled and ran towards her.

"Shane!" I yelled as I gathered her in my arms and hugged her as tight as I could. I spun around and squeezed her tighter.

"S-Sirius…" She grunted. I sighed and let go of her, a huge smile on my face.

"Shane?" She looked past me. I turned and watched as Moony and Prongs came running out. I couldn't help but to feel a little jealous as she ran straight to Moony. They were closer, I knew that. I'd even thought that they were soul mates once.

"Make sure she doesn't get into too much trouble." I turned to see Dumbledore in his normal, royal-blue robes. He was smiling past me, watching as she and Moony began to converse. "She's been so bored lately. Peeves is her new best friend."

I smiled and stared at her. "I can see how that could be possible." I said, making him chuckle. "I'll keep my eye on her, but I can't promise that there won't be trouble."

He nodded. "That's all I can ask of you." He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Shane!"

Her eyes moved over to Dumbledore and she quickly ran over to us. "Yes, Professor?" She asked, brushing her hair out of her eyes.

"I must be on my way." He said, setting a frail hand on her shoulder. "Enjoy the match, and bring me back Special Edition Chocolate Frog, will you?"

She nodded. "Goodbye, Professor." Then, the old man was gone. "He has too big of a sweet tooth." She said, reaching for the trunk that was left sitting in the middle of the road.

"Let me help." I said as I grabbed the handle out of her hand. She smiled and we began to walk back towards the house, her trunk trailing behind me.

* * *

"The Quaffle's up!" Shane giggled as she threw a Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean into the air. I watched it, swiveling my head back and forth before catching the bean in my mouth. I laughed, Shane, Prongs and Moony joining in.

"Bludger!" I yelled as I threw a bean from my own box at her. It hit her right below her eye and bounced onto the green carpet on the floor.

"Remind me what a Bludger is." She said, a large smile on her face.

"The small, brown balls that Sirius hits with the tiny bat." Moony said with amusement in his voice. His eyes shone as he stared at her.

"They aren't just balls!" I said, defending myself. "They're unregistered death-traps!" Everyone was laughing at me. Shane had slid off of James' bed and was rolling on the ground, gripping her side. "Oh, shut up you nitwits!"

Sooner or later, they all got a hold of themselves. It took Shane longer than everyone else, but she stopped. Then, she went straight for the Pumpkin Pasties that were in James' lap.

"I'm shocked, Shane." James said as he set the box beside her lap. "Just half an hour ago you were reciting every player on the American Quidditch team, and you just asked what a Bludger was."

"That's because I spent nine hours staring at a piece of paper with their names and positions!" She yelled at him. She took a huge bite out of one of the Pasties and chewed vigorously. A gulping sound came from her as she swallowed. "And I'll be supporting them, thank you very much."

"Well, everyone else is going with Ireland." I said, standing up and grabbing the Pasties. "And you don't need anymore sugar."

"Awe…" She whined, crossing her legs Indian style. "But I like Pumpkin Pasties…" Then, the softest, saddest noise came from her chest. It was like a puppy. I watched as her eyes swelled and tears slipped out of the corners. Her face was straight. I think it was the first time I'd ever seen her without some sort of smile. More of the soft noises came, and everyone was staring at her.

"For God's sake, Padfoot! Give her the damn Pasties already!" Prongs yelled as he stood up. He ripped the box from my hands and held them out to her.

"Th-Thank you…" She whimpered as she enclosed her frail, pale fingers around the edges of the box. As soon as the treats were in her lap, I saw her pale lips curl on one end.

"No…" I said, my eyes wide.

"Ha, you guys are so gullible!" She laughed, standing up. She had the Pasties under one arm and a mischievous smirk on her face.

"You mean you were acting?" Prongs almost yelled, standing up again.

She smiled over at him, all traced of impish behavior gone from her innocent face. "You of all people should've known, James. Shane Spencer doesn't cry." She said, holding firmly to the box. "Plus, I've been in at least three movies, acting isn't hard for me anymore."

"I'd call you a lying cheater, but I'm too proud of you." I said, wiping fake tears from my cheeks. She smiled.

"Well, I'm going to bed." Shane said, stretching the arm that wasn't holding her favorite treat. "See you all tomorrow." Then, she left the "boys' room" with the box of Pasties I'd bought for _my_ enjoyment.

**A/N: School's going well for me. My Language teacher thinks I'm a genius. But, this does not concern the story at all, it's just me gloating to my readers. I'll have even less time to write, soon. And it's all because of basketball season. Oh, and I just had a new development with the plot! Regulus Black is going to play a rather big part in Shane's life. I've pretty much got the entire thing playing in my mind now. And, lately, I've only been getting reviews from two people! I NEED YOUR ADVICE! Please help me!**

**R&R**


	8. Family in Diagon Alley

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Marauders, Lily, Walburga or Regulus Black. I don't own Diagon Alley either. Hence, I do not own Potage's Cauldron Shop or** **Florean Fortscue's Ice Cream Parlor. All I own is Shane and Mr. and Mrs. Potters' first names. **

**Shane Spencer**

August 19th, 1977

Friday crept up slowly. Being the idiots we were, we'd stayed up all night long talking Quidditch. I learned a lot more about the game and actually understood most of it. Now, it was early in the day. Probably around nine in the morning. The game started at five, so we had a solid amount of time before we had to leave.

I was sitting in the kitchen with James' mom, Jo.

Jo was beautiful. I knew that I would always compare super-models to her from then on, despite her age. Her hair was a strawberry-blonde with a hint of brown and flowed easily over her shoulders. It framed her heart-shaped face and accented her hazel eyes.

"You're going to die when you see Diagon Alley." She said with a smile, setting her mug of coffee gently on the counter. "I remember when we first brought James. Oh, he was so adorable when he was six. Would you like to see, I have lots of pictures."

"Of course, Mrs. Potter." I said as I smiled. "I bet James was just _the cutest little thing_!" She nodded and ran out of the room for a second. When she came back in moments later, a large, leather book was in her petite hands.

"Here's James on his first birthday!" She said, opening the book and pointing to a picture. Since the Potters were pureblood, all of the pictures moved.

A small, black and white James was sitting in a high-chair, grabbing the cake on his plate and sliding it all over his face. Jo came running into the picture and started wiping him off.

"Oh, and here's James and his father. I took this when we started potty training." I giggled and watched as James sat on a little, black and white plastic toilet.

"Mum!" I looked up to find James standing in front of us, watching with a mingled look of horror and embarrassment on his face. "No, no, no, no! Shane, look away from the potty training now!"

"Oh, but Jamsie, you have the cutest little tush!" Jo smiled from beside me, staring at her son.

"Mum, _please_…" He drawled, slumping his shoulders. "I really don't want Shane Spencer staring at my… tush…"

I smirked. "Alright, I won't look." I said, swirling a strand of my brown hair around a single, pale finger. "But, I'm sure Lily would love to look at your bottom."

His face began to glow bright red as his mother stared at him with a smile on her face. "W-What are you talking about?" He asked, tucking his hands behind his back and glancing between me and his mother.

"Oh, you know!" I said, standing up. "Lily, the girl you've been chasing for _years_. I'm sure pictures of you taking a bath would give her wonderful reasons to tease you."

"Lily?" Jo asked from beside me, smiling at her son. "Come, Jamsie. Tell me everything. What does she look like? Is she smart? Is she as well behaved as you?" I snickered and quickly left the room. Listening to James go on and on about Lily's complexion didn't sound very interesting to me at the time.

I passed Remus and Alex on the way to the stairs, flashing a smile as they looked over at me. I would've watched their game of chess, but I wanted to eat something unhealthy.

So, I climbed the stairs and walked through the hall. I passed the door with James' and Sirius' names carved into the wood, and then the bathroom door. The third door on the right was the door that led to the guest room, which was mine and only mine seeing as I was a teenage girl and they were teenage boys.

I pushed the door open to a rather unpleasant sight. A butt was in the air, thankfully clothed, while the rest of the body was crammed into the small space beneath my bed.

"Where'd you put my goddamn Pasties?" Sirius yelled before trying to remove himself. He hit his head on the base of the bed.

"I ate them." I stated simply. "But, Remus gave me a bunch of Licorice Wands. You can have a few."

"No…" He groaned, rubbing his head as he stared up at me, seeing as he was still sitting on the floor. "I hate Licorice Wands…"

"Well, tough salt."

"Tough salt?"

"Yes, tough salt." He stared at me with no emotion on his face. Then, suddenly, we both broke out in laughter. He was rolling on the floor, and I was getting close to that point. But, it soon died down and we were sighing out deep breaths on the blue carpet.

"We should head downstairs, don't you think?" Sirius asked, his black hair sprawling out around him. I nodded and flipped over so I was on my stomach, my knees sliding under me and eventually getting to my feet. Then, we left the room side by side.

* * *

I stared curiously at the broomstick hanging on the wall. The handle was long and shinny, having just been hung up, and the words "Nimbus 1000" was painted on it in gold. The way the bristles were compacted made me even more curious.

"Brilliant, isn't it?" I glanced at James, who had come to stand beside me.

I nodded. "It's amazing." I said, my eyes glazed over. "One-hundred Galleons, I still haven't learned the value of it. How much would this broom be in muggle money?"

"I dunno, I've never existed in the muggle world, remember."

"Didn't you take Muggle Studies?" I looked over at him, my brow furrowed and my nose scrunched. "I know Sirius and Remus did."

"Course I did," He said, smirking over at me. "Lucky me, not paying any attention helped me to restrain from earning the O.W.L in that class." I smiled and looked back up at the broom.

"Hey, lovebirds, we're ready to leave!" I glared back at Sirius, who had a box under his left arm. James rolled his eyes, grabbed my arm and pulled me over to the door.

"New armguards, Padfoot?" He asked as they walked out of the quaint little shop. I followed behind them, intently watching their smiles.

"I felt my old ones were getting a little small and ratty." James nodded in agreement, and then quickly looked away. "What, no stalking this year?" My eyes followed James' to see the bright red hair and green eyes of Lily Evans.

"You sure you can handle Shane, she can get a little crazy." James asked, tearing his eyes away from Evans.

"I'm sure I can." Sirius replied, smirking over at me.

James sighed and nodded. "I'm actually thinking she'd going to be taking care of you more than you to her." He scratched the back of his head. "Now, excuse me while I go chase after my Lily-Pad."

I watched with a smile as he ran after the clump of red in the crowd. "Alright, where to next?" I asked, snatching the list from his hand. "Hm… new quills, cauldron, robes… What's this?" I looked up at him. "'Buy Shane ice cream.'"

"I didn't write that!" He snapped as he snatched the paper back. He looked down at it and the annoyance left his features. "Oh, so I did."

I rolled my eyes and hid my wand behind my thigh. A smile was on my lips, but he knew me too well.

"Even though I know you did it, I'll buy you ice cream." He said, earning a giant, blinding smile from me. "But, not right now. I really do need that new cauldron."

I nodded and followed obediently as we began to walk through Diagon Alley. We crossed the cobblestone street and followed the odd buildings to the left, eventually finding ourselves standing in front of Potage's Cauldron Shop.

I stood in awe. Tens if not hundreds of cauldrons were stacked up outside the shop, the window behind it showing shiny, bronze cauldrons. The door on the left side of the building was old and brown, but looked as if it might've once been green.

"You coming?" My eyes flashed from the stack of cauldrons to Sirius, who now stood in front of the door. I nodded and ran over to him.

As we stepped inside the shop, the smell of rust and metal mingled in my nose. The scent of mildew floated in the air as well. I sneezed, and that meant dust lingered on several surfaces as well. The shop didn't look much better than it smelled. Dirt was tracked across the several rugs and the barely visible wooden floor. The light bulbs above our heads flickered every now and then.

"Wha' can I do fer yeh?" I looked away from the light bulbs and too the place the gruff, course voice had emerged from.

Standing behind a counter with a grease ridden cloth in his hands was a large, hairy man. A sliver beard shrouded his face, but I could still see rosy cheeks. His eyes were almond shaped and colored a deep brown. The first thing _I_ thought was Santa Clause.

"Hello, Potage." Sirius said with a smile. He seemed to know everyone he saw.

"Great Scott, tha' yeh Sirius?" The giant man asked, setting down the cloth and retreating from the counter. "Ah, and who's this young lady?"

"One of his crazy fan girls." I said, the sarcasm literally dripping from my tongue. I rolled my eyes and began to look around the shop again.

"Sarcasm, yeh'll wanna watch tha' one, Sirius." I smiled, but continued to look around at the items in the shop.

"I know, she's a right handful." He sighed.

I turned back around and glared at him, shoving my hands into the pockets on my blue jacket. "And you aren't?"

He smiled and shook his head. "I am, and I'm proud of it." He said, a smirk forming on his pink lips. "But, that's not why I'm here. I need a new cauldron."

"Didn't yer mum just buy yeh one last year?" Potage asked, staring at Sirius in disbelief.

"She did, but she decided to keep it when I ran away last summer. Thought Reg could use it better than I could." Sirius explained.

The rest of their conversation was lost as my mind began to swim through Sirius' last two sentences. First, he'd never told me he'd run away from home. I knew he wasn't exactly fond of his family, but I never knew he didn't like them _that_ much. And who was Reg?

"Thanks, Potage." I snapped back into reality and followed Sirius out the door, staring at the back of his head the entire way. I was worried about him. "Now, how about that ice cream?"

A fake smile came to my face as I nodded, keeping a close eye on Sirius as we walked down the road. I stayed a few steps behind him, but my eyes never left the back of his head. We passed several shops that interested me, but I didn't dare to look at them. I had to keep watching Sirius, just in case he made a sudden turn or something.

Soon, we made it into the small shop with a large sign on the front, the words "Florean Fortscue's Ice Cream Parlor" painted in pink. Sirius told me to wait outside and find a table while he got the ice cream. So, I did just that.

I sat at a small, round wire table. I sat in one of the two white chairs and watched people as they walked by. There were several men and women in robes, but most wore normal muggle clothes. As I people watched, I saw something that scared me a little bit.

Walking through the crowd was a boy. He had black hair and grey eyes, much like Sirius. A vacant look was plastered on his pale face. He was good looking, but I wouldn't have put him on my most wanted list anytime soon.

Beside him, a stout woman with a skeptic look on her face stared down everyone she passes. Her all too red lips seemed to be placed in a permanent scowl, and her eyes jutted around the street. What interested me was her nose. It looked just like Sirius', not to say that I'd been examining his nose.

The pair of black eyes within the sockets of the woman looked to me, glaring into my own golden ones. My chest froze as she stared at me with a furious look.

"Here, I got you chocolate." I tore my eyes away from the woman's and looked over at Sirius. He was holding out a sugar cone full of brown ice cream. I smiled and took it from him happily. "What were you staring at?"

I opened my mouth to answer that I thought I'd seen James, but was interrupted by a sharp, high voice. "Sirius Pollux Black!" I turned around to see the woman and the boy standing beside me.

"Why, hello mum." Sirius said with a quick frown, and then a smirk. "Regulus, how's your summer?"

"Wonderful, considering you're not in it." The boy said. His voice was smooth and alluring, but I had months of practice in the art of not-melting-near-overly-handsome-and-smooth-boys.

"Charming." Sirius spat, taking a quick lick of his own ice cream, which was butterscotch colored.

"Who is this… this… thing?" Sirius' mom asked as she gestured towards me. I would have normally gotten mad, but I truly was a thing now. I wasn't human.

"You don't really have a right to know," Sirius said, glaring at his mother. She glared right back with those piercing black eyes, but Sirius seemed immune.

"He's not worth the trouble, mum." Regulus said, staring at his brother, but taking several glances my way. The woman just nodded pointedly and followed her son back into the crowd.

"Sorry about that, didn't think they'd be here today. I mean, what're the chances?" Sirius said as he finally sat down, biting a chunk out of his cone.

"That was your mom?" I asked, staring at him sympathetically.

He nodded. "Right nightmare, isn't she?" He asked, a large smile appearing on his face. "Dad's almost as bad, but no one can compare to mum when it comes to thinking of punishments and screaming."

"She looked like she played the part of warden well." I said, glancing in the direction they'd left. "Your brother doesn't seem too great either."

He sighed and looked down. "Reg's not a bad kid, really." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I blame mum for pushing him into all of the pure-blood insanity."

"How old is he?"

He smiled up at me. "I do believe he just turned sixteen a week ago. Shame I didn't bother to show up for what I'm sure would've been a _smashing_ party." I chuckled and took a large bite out of my shrinking cone. "Anyways, since we're on the subject of family…?"

I was silent and I suddenly found my depleted ice cream extremely interesting. I really didn't want to answer his question, seeing as I hadn't spoken a single word about my parents for at least six months. Alas, it had to be done.

"There's not really much to tell." I said, setting one elbow on the table and setting my chin upon my open hand. "I don't really see them that much, and when I do it's because they need me to sign something or my schedule has been made official." Sirius was silent, obviously waiting for more. "I doubt they even miss me."

"We have a lot in common then, do we?" He asked, snatching my cone from my hand.

"Hey!" I yelped as I finally looked up. He took a large bite out of the side of the cone. He licked all of the melted ice cream from around the edge and smiled at me.

"I paid for it, I get to decide what to do with it." He said simply, shrugging. "And you stole my Pumpkin Pasties, so this is only fair." He smiled at me and I could help but to smile back with a chuckle, luckily catching the bark of laughter and shoving it down my throat.

* * *

The day slowly progressed, and Sirius didn't push the limits of "family talk" more than necessary, making me a happy camper. We'd finished buying Sirius' supplies with the help of James, who'd returned to us after having been caught by fickle Lily.

Now, we all stood in a straight line, a rail keeping us from falling onto the field. A navy blue and red stripped scarf was wrapped around my neck while the letters USA were magically stamped across my forehead.

Sirius (who was standing beside me), however, sported a green and white hat. Two numbers were written on his cheeks in green and he even had a jacket that flashed the different numbers and names of the Irish players.

Next was James, who was even more gussied up than Sirius. Remus was beside him, with absolutely nothing showing his support of Ireland.

The scary thing, though, was James' parents. They were wearing matching green shirts and white pants, their faces completely painted green and white stripes. Fake four leaf clovers were tucked into Jo's hair, and Alex had died his hair green. You couldn't help but to laugh at them a little bit.

"I'm going to go get some snacks, anyone want anything?" Jo asked as she stepped away from the railing and smiled at all of us.

"Fish and chips please, mum!" James said, keeping his eyes on the show in front of us.

"Me too, please." Sirius mumbled, watching as an American flag burst in the sky, made of fireworks.

"I'm not very hungry." Remus said. "I'll just snack off of James."

"Me too." I said as I nodded, being the only one to smile back at Jo. She nodded and grabbed Alex's hand as she began to walk away. I turned back around just in time to watch green robes fly past the flag, three flying through it. The colors changed and it was suddenly the Irish flag.

"Bloody brilliant, isn't it?" Sirius yelled over the screaming crowd, smiling over at me. I nodded and leaned over the railway, trying to watch the American seeker swoop close to the ground.

"That's Amelia Vince, right?" I asked as I leaned closer to Sirius, pointing at the seeker. "The only female national Quidditch player in the world?" He nodded.

"Don't take this the wrong way," He said, a smirk forming. "But I'm surprised that you remembered."

I playfully attacked his arm, making him bump into James. "Cut it out, you two!" James yelled, shoving Sirius back. He bumped into me, and I tilted, accidentally bumping into one of the Drooble's vendors. Of course, the guy had to fall over and land in the lap of a rather kinky looking woman.

Sirius, James, Remus and I slowly stepped away from the rail and into the corridor, innocent looks on our faces and our hands tucked behind our backs. Sirius even whistled Dancing Queen. I didn't even know he knew that song, let alone Abba. Well, he truly is a strange one.

**A/N: Alright, I need some real help here. Shane's having a birthday party. I know, I know, there's going to be lights and hundreds of people... NOT! It's just going to be the seventh year boys' and girls' dorms from Gryffindor. I need a few ideas of strange things that could happen during this "party." Remember, this is the Marauders! I also need a few gift ideas. I know what Dumbledore is going to get her, but I have no idea what Sirius, James, Remus, Peter and Lily could _possibly_ get for their friend. HELP ME PLEASE!**

**Still only two reviewers! C'mon, guys, I wanna hear what you think!**

**R&R  
**


	9. First Day of the End

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Marauders, the Hogwarts Express, or Hogwarts itself. I also don't own Lily Evans, Mary MacDonald or Alice. **

**Sirius Black**

September 1st, 1977

I could feel my heartbeat in my throat as the train slowly came to a stop in Hogsmeade Station. I was holding four Pumpkin Pasties in my hands, but they were soon in my pockets.

Why I was so excited to see Shane, I didn't know. I had seen her not even a month ago, so why did I miss her so much? Truthfully, I missed her smile, her laugh, her jokes, her eyes, her sincerity, her obsession over books, everything about her. I missed it all.

I thought that we'd become closer when she visited for the Quidditch game, but I hadn't realized just _how_ close. It was nice to have someone who knew how I felt when it came to family.

So, I followed James and Remus through the train. My fingers tapped anxiously at my thigh, and my eyes bounced around. My stomach was strangely churning, and I had to keep taking deep breaths to keep from hyperventilating.

As we stepped off the train, I immediately began to search for her. Being as desperate for her as I was, I looked everywhere except for the most obvious place. It was the last place I looked, naturally. But, my eyes did eventually rake over her brown hair.

She was standing next to Hagrid, smiling up at him attentively. A large, meaty hand flew and pointed directly at me, and then I saw the gold eyes.

A smile lit up my face as all tension and anxiety disappeared. I ran through the crowd, pushing a few first years in the process. She did the same, but was sure to refrain from pushing anyone younger than her (which was everyone, seeing as she was my age, only younger by two months) as she did.

"Sirius!" She yelped as she jumped into me, wrapping her thin, pale arms firmly around my neck. I wrapped my arms around her waist and held her against me tightly. God, I'd missed her.

"How've you been?" I asked quietly, keeping my arms in their places.

"Alright, you?" She answered quietly as well, though her voice clear in my ear.

"Alright." I said, setting my chin on her shoulder and taking a deep breath, breathing in her smell. She smelled like bubblegum, fresh bread and mildew.

"I don't mean to be rude, but I'd like a chance." Something in me snapped. I wanted to turn around and hit Remus for interrupting, but he _was_ one of my best mates.

Shane flew from my arms and straight past me. I knew that she was already hugging Remus just as she had me. I turned around cautiously, wincing when I saw Shane and Remus holding hands. James gave Shane a one-armed hug, careful to keep their hands joined.

I shook my head and set a smile on my lips. I'd known this would happen. Always had. It shouldn't have come as a shock that Moony and Shane were most likely going to start dating, but it did anyways.

"We better get going, or we'll be stuck in a carriage with Snivellus." I said, shoving my hands into the pockets on my robes and fingering the Pasties.

Shane nodded and pulled her fingers from between Remus' gently, throwing herself onto my back. "Alright, let's go!" I smiled and wrapped my fingers around the backs of her knees as we began to move towards the carriages that pulled themselves.

* * *

Shane was watching the sorting ceremony with interest. The first time the hat had spoken, she'd flinched and then come to be in an entranced shape.

I kept glancing at her as I thumb wrestled with Prongs. I thought that, with all of the times that she'd had afternoon tea and lessons with Dumbledore in his office, she would've been used to it. She spent more time in that room than even Dumbledore himself.

"I'd've thought that you'd be used to this by now." I said as I fished my thumb out from beneath Prongs'.

"Ravenclaw!"

"Actually, the Sorting Hat doesn't really talk to me. The only word it's ever said when I was in its presence was, and I quote, "mutt." After that, we just haven't been willing to converse." She said, glancing over at me and quickly refocusing on the Hat.

"Is that why Dumbledore didn't bother to have you sorted?" Remus asked as he looked at her over his shoulder, for he'd also been watching the sorting with interest.

"Hufflepuff!"

She nodded. "He knew the Hat would put me in Slytherin, as it is the house I despise." She smiled, her white teeth shinning brightly.

"I still don't see how you could find it interesting at _all_." I pulled my hand away from Prongs' and turned slightly, so she knew that she had my full attention.

"You forget, dear Sirius." She said, sticking her pointer finger in the air and looking back to the sorting. "This is my first and only Sorting Ceremony. I want to pay attention."

"Gryffindor!"

I brought my hands together out of habit and clapped for the new first year. But, of course, Shane had all of my attention. I didn't even bother to look at the kid.

"It surely is a wonderful experience." Moony said as he smiled at her, the Sorting Hat forgotten. "It would've been a shame had you not shown up 'til this year." She nodded and smiled at him.

"Now, tuck in!" Dumbledore's voice spread through the Great Hall, and he glanced at Shane as he sat down. Food appeared on the table in front of us, and all conversation was lost. I had to refrain from laughing (seeing as I had stuffed a mixture of bread, chicken and gravy into my mouth) as Shane stuffed her face, earning stares from the people around us, especially the first years. Of course, they could've been staring at James.

Speaking of Prongs, Lily kept curiously glancing our way. I smirked as I looked at Prongs, trying to catch his eye. Of course, he was too interested in the peas on his plate.

"Slow down, Shane." I looked to Remus as he smiled and snatched the fork from her hand.

"Pay, giff thab back!" She snorted, a small amount of bread crumbs spurting from her mouth. She swallowed with an audible gulp. "It's not funny!" She was smiling, though.

I hadn't even realized I'd started laughing. Prongs and Wormtail had obviously done the same thing. We all laughed, the Hufflepuff table behind us shooting glares. But, we just continued our reign of chuckling.

* * *

I watched Shane slowly walk into the common room, a smile on her face. But, as I watched her face and eyes closely, I knew that she wasn't _really_ feeling that way. Her eyes were hard and her jaw was set.

"So, what happened?" Prongs asked as she approached, plopping herself down on the couch beside me.

"Nothing, really." She said, flashing another fake smile. "Dumbledore just wanted me to move into the 7th Year Girls' dormitory. He said it would be "better" if I got some "girlfriends."" She added the quotes in with her hands.

"Now I see why you're in a fowl mood." I said as I kicked my feet up on her lap.

"I'm not in a _fowl_ mood!" She groaned, her eyes darkening and her brow furrowing. She pushed my feet from her thighs and glared at me.

"Or is it just that time of the month again?" That one earned me a rather solid blow to the shoulder. "Ow!" I gasped and grabbed it, feeling the bruise that would be there in the morning.

"Lily-Pad!" All pain was forgotten as I smirked and looked over my shoulder at the hot-headed red head standing behind me, glaring at Prongs.

"You didn't show up at the Prefects' Meeting on the train." She growled.

"So?" Prongs shot back, a smirk still on his face. "You didn't really expect me to show up, did you?"

The glare on Evans' face was rather frightening. She looked like she would've killed him, had it not been against the rules. "Yes, I did. You could at least show respect for your position, Potter."

"It's not my fault Dumbledore made me a Prefect!" Now, Prongs was on his feet. He looked genuinely mad at his precious Lily.

"Maybe not, but he trusted you with a position of authority!" She yelled, taking a quick step closer to him. They were now face to face, their faces red with anger. "Personally, I think he's finally lost it, setting you as Head Boy! _Please_, James Potter could never, ever, do anything worthwhile." Her voice slowly got quieter, until it was just a harsh whisper.

James looked absolutely shattered. Anger was still plastered on his face, but his eyes looked broken and empty. "I chased you, didn't I?" He asked, whispering now. "Goodnight." Then, he was gone.

Lily snorted. "Good-for-nothing nitwit…" She mumbled. "Anyways, there was a trunk in our dorm near Mandy's bed. It had the initials S.S. on it. Do you know anyone new with those initials?"

I smiled at her as she stared at me, and then looked to Shane.

"Hello, you must be Lily." She forced a smile and stuck her hand out. Lily, of course, seemed to think the smile was real. "I'm Shane Spencer."

"Is that an American accent I hear?" Lily said as she grabbed Shane's hand, shaking it gently.

"Actually, yes. But, I feel it's starting to sound a little bit more… British." She said, smiling and pointing at her throat. She was right, her voice had changed slightly. She had started pronouncing her L's different.

"Well, that'll just make everything more interesting. Now, you have to meet the other girls. Alice, Mary, Sam!" I watched as the three girls slowly appeared in front of us.

"What is it, Lily?" Mary asked, her voice clear and loud.

Mary MacDonald was rather tall for her age. She was well built, too, seeing as she played Quidditch with James and I. She had long, auburn hair that curved and curled here and there. Her appearance spoke her personality, as well. She was very confident and indomitable. She was always loud, and would play a prank on the Marauders every now and then, just to put us in our place.

The one on Mary's left was Alice. Alice was just like Mary in many, many ways. For one thing, she was also a Quidditch maniac. Her personality was also the same, except for her increasing stupidity. It's not that she wasn't a brilliant witch, don't get me wrong. She was an excellent witch. It's just that she was constantly doing some idiotic stunt or dare. But, she was physically the opposite of the beautiful, gorgeous Mary Macdonald. She was short, standing at 5"1. But, that made her quick and agile. Her hair was cut short, almost like a bad buzz-cut. Her face was thin and rather attractive, though, when you thought about it. She was alright in my book.

The last girl, the one standing timidly behind Lily and Mary, was Samantha Josephs. Sam had always been a little nervous, especially around guys. Her eyes were always staring at her shoes, and her cheeks were always flushed. Of course she didn't really have anything to be shy about. She was blessed with the look of an angel. Her black hair fell gracefully down her back in dark ringlets, a shade lighter than the rest of her hair. And her eyes, God her eyes… They were bright blue, and looked even brighter against her pallid skin.

I'd dated Sam for a few weeks in third year, and then again in January last year. So, whenever we saw each other, it was a little awkward. Much more so for her than me.

"Sam." I said softly, a slight frown settling on my lips.

"Sirius…" She whispered, her tiny voice barely reaching me. Yet, it still sent chills down my spin. She sounded like an angle as well.

I turned to Shane and stood. "I'll see you tomorrow." I said before turning and walking over to the archway that led to the boys' dormitories. I slowly climbed the stairs. I was thinking about my day. It had probably been the best first-day-of-school I'd ever had.

As I slowly stepped into the dormitory, I yawned. I was tired after a day of being reunited and so forth. And, as I turned to go to my bed, I saw Prongs sitting beside his window scratching his owl, Screech, with one hand and rubbing his Prefects' badge with the other.

"You okay, Prongs?" I asked as I paced closer to him.

"I'll be alright, mate." He said as I sat down next to him. He glanced over and I saw the sadness in his eyes. "I'll get over it, just like I always do."

I sighed and leaned against the stone that bordered the gothic style window. "You know, I bet you'd have a better chance with Lily if you matured a bit."

"Mature? I'm mature!" He yelled, causing Screech to flap his way to his cage.

"Mate, the only mature marauder is Moony, and he can be quite the little devil when he wants to be." Prongs' eyes softened and he slowly looked to the window again. He knew I was right.

"Mature…" He whispered to himself, glancing at his hands. "Alright, I'll be mature. Well, not _mature_, but better. Yes, I'll be better. Not so cocky. More like Moony."

I chuckled and reached over so I could ruffle his hair. "Good, take Moony lessons." I said as I stood up, walking over to my bed. I didn't even bother to change, I just tossed myself underneath the covers and closed my eyes.

**A/N: I have everything planned out now! Everything is set up and thought out, although the research is still going to be strenuous! I'M SO HAPPY! Oh, and I have two days off of school next week! That means more writing time. **

**Along with that, I have a poll up that pertains to this story. ****GO TO MY PAGE AND VOTE PLEASE! **

**Now, I need an idea of what I can have James get Shane for her birthday. It has to be over-stereotypically American (thank you, CuteLikeMomiji) and completely something he would buy. I already know what Sirius is getting her, and I have a basic idea for Remus**

**Review please!**

**R&R**


	10. Parents and Their Client

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Well, except for the following actions and conversations. Thank you!**

**Shane Spencer**

September 1st, 1977

Listening to the four girls in the beds beside mine was strange. The topics changed rapidly, going from magic, to nail polish, to schoolwork. Then, somehow, the topic changed to the Marauders.

"C'mon, Lily, admit it!" Alice squealed in a sing-song voice as she waved her wand back and forth. "You like Potter!"

"No, Potter is a twit!"

"Cut him some slack!" I groaned. It was the first word I'd said all night, and I could feel the girls' eyes on me. "James isn't a twit, he just acts like one. He can be really sweet when he wants to be."

"James Potter, sweet?" Mary spoke up, smirking over at me. "You better be careful what you say, or someone might think you fancy him."

I let out a bark of laughter (something I'd learned from Sirius) and pushed myself into a sitting position. "No, and I have one good reason." They all watched me expectantly. "When I met him, he was an over-excited fan-boy."

"Really?"

I nodded. "It was actually really, really scary." They all laughed, and I suddenly felt welcome. "But, like I said, he can be a really good friend. You're too hard on him, Lily."

"I know, but, sometimes, he just… God, he makes me want to tear my hair out!" She groaned, a frown forming on her beautiful face.

"I have a feeling he's going to be a lot better this year." I smiled at Lily and she quickly returned.

"Alright, now," Mary interrupted our little moment, staring over at me. "What's the story between you and Black? You seem close."

I nodded. "He's… well, I guess you could call him my best friend." I answered, smiling down at the blanket in front of me. "We have this… this common thing. It's easy to get along with him."

"Be careful, won't you?" I was shocked, Sam had said a sentence with more than one word in it. "I know how it feels to be close to him. You feel on the top of the world, right?" More than _four_ words. I nodded and she smiled slightly at me. "It doesn't last forever, remember that."

And the hangings around her bed shut. She was done talking. I doubted she would say anything tomorrow, maybe it would even carry into the next day. I looked to Lily with a confused look on my pale face.

"She and Sirius were a thing for a little while in third year, and you were here when they started dating again in January." She said, a sad smile on her lips. "She still really likes him."

I glanced back at the hangings around Sam's bed. "Maybe I can do something." I said, keeping my eyes locked on the cloth walls of red and gold. "Maybe I can, y'know, talk to him. I'm still not a real big fan of his ways with women."

"I think that would make her feel a little better." Alice murmured, smiling over at me. "Well, lights out!" Then, all light was gone from the room other than the moon shinning through the windows.

* * *

My eyes weren't really open at all. They just appeared that way. On the inside, I was still asleep in my bed. Everyone else was wide awake, though. Sirius and Peter were laughing at something, and Remus was talking to a fourth year sitting beside him. Most likely a morning tutoring session.

James was acting strange. When Sirius made a sexual comment or joke, he just sniggered and stared at the eggs on his plate.

"What's up with you today, mate?" I was wrenched out of my inside-sleep as Sirius shook my thin shoulder. I shook my head and smiled at him.

"Nothing, just a little tired." I answered.

"What? Was Evans off her rocker last night?" He asked, shoving a biscuit into his mouth. "Was she giving you a lecture about what a bad influence we are?" He swallowed.

"No, we just talked. I got to know everyone a little better." I yawned and picked at my toast with butter and raspberry jam. "Y'know, for such a beautiful girl, Sam sure is shy."

As I thought, the question led nowhere. He didn't even really talk to me about it. He just grunted and became suddenly interested in the inside of his biscuit. Of course, this made me all the more curious. I really wanted to know what he thought of Sam now.

Yet, I didn't get another word in about it at all during breakfast. It was soon time to follow Sirius to his first class of the day, which was either History of Magic or that one with all of the future stuff.

It was my first magic class ever, and I was buzzing with excitement. Sirius became his normal self when I stopped talking about Sam, so he was laughing as I ran circles around him. The other students were staring at me as if I was insane (I partly was), and that was okay with me.

"Would you cut that out already?" He laughed, sticking out his foot and tripping me swiftly. I landed on the hard, marble floor and slid about four feet. That has to be some kind of record, right? I mean, it could be the longest distance a student has slid on the floor.

"That hurt!" I yelped at him as I stood and dusted off the black student robes I had recently acquired.

"Well, tough salt." He smirked, bending down to my height. He looked a lot shorter now, seeing as he stood at a sturdy 5"11and I was a tiny 5"5.

I smiled and continued walking. He caught up quickly and we engaged in slight conversation as we continued towards the fourth floor. It was a bit of a walk, seeing as the stairs shifted on us twice and we had to take alternate routes.

Anyways, when we finally entered the classroom, we were late.

"Mr. Black, please, sit and be on time on Wednesday." Professor Binns droned in his monotonous voice. "As for you, Ms. Spencer, introduce yourself to the class."

I nodded and walked to the front of class beside the ghost with my head held high. I was confident and courageous, as I always was. All of the students stared at me questioningly, except for Sirius and Remus who were still watching with interest.

"Hello, I'm Shane and I'm from the United States." A smirk sat happily upon my pallid face as I folded my hands behind my back. "I've been traveling the world as a muggle musician for most of my life. And my mom and dad homeschooled me. Now, we've decided to live in England for the rest of my life."

"Wait, Shane _Spencer_?" A Hufflepuff boy at the back of the classroom asked with a shocked stare.

I nodded and said, "Yes, Shane Spencer."

"I know you!"

"I do too!"

"I bought four of your last record!"

All of those words were a musician's dream. To tell you the truth, I'd always liked listening to people compliment the things I wrote and played. I knew it was a little shallow, but it wasn't _that_ shallow, right?

"I never thought my music reached the wizarding world. Thank you for proving me wrong." I said as I raised a hand in an attempt to silence the seventh years in front of me. "Anyways, I'm hoping I'll get to know all of you."

Clapping went all the way around, even a few of the Slytherins clapped for my horrible speech. I had to shake a few hands as I slowly progressed towards my seat besides Sirius in the middle of the classroom.

"Congratulations, Shane," Remus began, leaning on the desk in front of us to look past Sirius. "You're more popular than Padfoot."

"No, that's impossible." Sirius said, crossing his arms and leaning against the back of his chair. "No one's more popular than me."

"You rock, Shane!"

"That was a Slytherin, Sirius." I said, a devilish smirk on my lips. "The Slytherins hate. Your. Guts." He glared at me, but I didn't waver in my confidence high.

"We tie." He murmured, raising his hand to his unkempt black hair. He shoved his fingers through it and I couldn't help but to snort.

"Alright, sure, Sirius." And then, we were all listening to Professor Binns go on and on about the importance of seventh year.

* * *

I felt that every class was interesting so far, even History of Magic. I'd never heard of the Centaur War of 1267, but that was probably because Sapio liked me so much and didn't want me to feel bad about it. According to Sirius, I was going to be just like Evans (as she was so fondly called) and be a "wonderful student" and a "joy in class." I didn't know whether or not to take that as an insult.

The classes were extremely small, except for Defense Against the Dark Arts. It was normally all four houses mixed together, but it was different in DADA. It was only us and Slytherins, and that was still at least thirty students.

"Wonderful, Ms. Spencer!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed as she fingered the teacup that I had given legs and an eye. "Why, you might have Professor Dumbledore's talent for transfiguration, my dear!"

I smiled toothily at her. "Thank you, Professor!"

"That's amazing, Shane!"

"I wish I could do that!"

"Could you tutor me, Shane?"

I smirked and looked to Sirius. He was grumpy. He had been since History of Magic. I think he was jealous that I was more popular than him. No, I _knew_ that he was jealous of me. He tried to outdo me during Herbology, but it backfired on him and all he ended up with was a plant hanging from his forearm for half an hour. A plant with teeth.

"Oh, shut up!" He snapped, folding his arms on the desk in front of him and resting his head in them. "Stupid, good-for-nothing half-pint…"

I smiled and subtly flicked my wand at his cup. Quickly, two legs, two arms, two eyes and a mouth spouted from the brown mug.

"What the Hell?" He yelped quietly as he jumped up.

"Mr. Black, that's wonderful!" The Professor shouted from halfway across the classroom. "Fifty points to Gryffindor! I see you did quite a bit of studying over the summer."

"Um… Y-Yea, lots of studying…" He glanced at me, smiled, and looked at the cup. As the Professor turned around, he leaned closer to me. "Thanks, Shane." He whispered.

"For what?" I asked, completely ignoring his cup.

"This." He pointed at the mug as he ran to the edge of his desk. He scrambled to catch it before it could run off.

"I didn't do that, it was all you." I shrugged. "Magic's a strange thing."

He watched me skeptically for the rest of class, but he said nothing more. As we walked out of the classroom, he smiled and bragged about the cup to everyone he saw. Even as we made our way through the common room to get to our comfy armchairs beside the fireplace, he wouldn't shut up about it.

"Alright, Padfoot, we get it!" James finally screamed as he looked up from his Divination essay. "You're bloody brilliant at transfiguration, we understand!"

I smiled. "Yes, Sirius, you're getting quite annoying."

He smiled back, picking up the book in his lap. "Sorry, I've just always sucked at Transfiguration, I barely scrapped by with my O.W.L. in that class."

"Now that we're on the same page, does anyone know what time it is?"

"What do you need to know the time for, it's not like we're going anywhere." Remus spoke in a monotonous voice, barely glancing up from his DADA text book, Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection.

"Dumbledore's tutoring me every Monday and Wednesday night." I answered as I stood from my armchair. "Y'know, to make up for the six years of school I missed."

"It's a quarter to six!" Peter squeaked, looking up at me from his spot on the floor, where he happily read his wizarding comic book.

I cussed under my breath. "I'll be late, see you tomorrow!" And then I was gone out the portrait hole and running through the corridors.

* * *

The next day was just like the last. We went through the same routine, going to different classes at different times. But, everything was normal, at least until dinner. Well, technically, dinner was the same, too. It was what happened _after_ dinner that rattled my cage.

I was slowly progressing through the Entrance Hall with the Marauders. We were laughing as Sirius started randomly dancing, but that ended sooner than it normally would. It ended in screams. Not ours, thank goodness, but the voice was familiar.

"I demand to see my daughter, old man!" The voice was coming from right outside the open oak doors that led to the grounds, and boy was it loud and masculine and definitely angry.

"I cannot do that, John." It was Dumbledore. He was speaking calmly, as he always did. I don't think I've ever heard him yell.

Then, it hit me. John, the familiar voice, it was my dad. And that idea was confirmed as my father stomped inside, angrily glaring around the room.

"John!" My mother made a mad dash in beside him. His eyes went right past me, but that was liable seeing as I was standing behind Remus. "John, stop this!"

"Scarlett, we can't go another _week_ with this bad publicity we're getting!" My father yelled at her. "We need our client back!"

"Is that all I am to you?" I yelled, gently pushing past Remus.

"Shane, you are in _so_ much trouble, little girl!" I glared at my father. "How dare you make us look like bad parents? We're ashamed of you!"

"The feeling's mutual!" I screamed, snatching my wand from my back pocket. "All I've ever been is a client! That's it! To tell you the truth, I don't see you as my parents! Not since I was seven!"

"How dare you speak to me like that?"

"_Stupefy!_" I had raised my wand, and it was aimed at him. The red beam flew easily from the tip of the long, white stick and hit him squarely in the chest. He froze instantly, and fell backwards.

For the first time, I realized that a crowd had gathered. People stared at my father, and soon switched their gaze to me.

"John, Jonathan!" My mother yelled as she knelt beside my stick-straight father. "Someone, help him!"

"Shane!" It was Remus. He was calling to me as I ran away. I couldn't stand to be in that room any longer, I needed to go to my old room. In my old room was an object that I'd completely forgotten. I'd forgotten the turtle. Great, now I felt anger _and_ guilt, not a good combination boys and girls.

"Shane, wait up!" Now it was Sirius. He was the only person (other than Dumbledore and myself) that had ever entered my room. I'd pulled him inside once when we were running from Filch. That was the only reason he knew about it. "Shane, come 'ere you right git!"

I reached for the switch on the bottom of Professor Switch's portrait and stepped inside. Too bad Sirius knew where the switch was.

"Shane, you need to talk to people about your problems!" He gasped breathlessly as he followed me inside.

I ignored him as I searched the room with my eyes, quickly finding the wooden turtle hanging by its leather rope from the head of my lamp. I crossed the room and snatched it, rubbing my fingers over the smooth wood. As I stared at it, a small tear escaped from my right eye.

"Hey, why're you crying?" Sirius asked as he stepped closer to me and spun me towards him. "If anyone should be crying, it should be me. I'm the one panting from running down two hallways!" I laughed, and he smiled. "That's it, laugh at my suffering."

I smiled. "Thanks, Sirius."

He obviously saw the look in my eyes, and nodded. "That's what friends are for, right? Talking and making fun of, that's what all of my best mates are."

I wrapped my arms around his torso, and looked over the room. He kindly returned the comforting hug, and set his chin on my hair. It was a good feeling, holding Sirius. He was indeed my best friend.

**A/N: Halloween is slowly creeping up on me. I've decided to go as a bag of groceries. Anyways, I'm about midway through the story now. I'm in the midst of writing chapter sixteen, and I'm planning on having at least twenty-two chapters. Who knows, I might have even more. I never do know just how much is actually going to be written until it's on paper. The story's beginning to take some interesting turns from my point of view. However, that's because I know what's going to happen already, and I have the next six chapters within my grasp. I hope you're all enjoying my story.**

**Now, I wanna thank my editor. At least, that's how I think of her. In your minds, you would call her my BetaReader. **

**Sam, thank you for everything and anything you've done to help the progression of this story. Without you, my story wouldn't be anything it is today. You are the heart and soul of my writing and I'll never be able to thank you enough.**

**I could use some more reviews, so I know what you think!**

**R&R  
**


	11. Parties Aren't Fun With a Broken Hand

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Marauders, Madame Pomfrey, the Beatles, Hogsmeade or Hogwarts. Neither do I own Quidditch or the Room of Requirement.**

**Sirius Black**

November 10th, 1977

Halloween slowly rolled around, and Shane was enthusiastic about the whole dress-up thing. She insisted that James, Remus, Peter and I go as a muggle band (which was also popular in the wizarding world) titled the Beatles. She went as a muggle-version witch, and we all laughed up a storm. I ended up asking Sam to be my date to the Hogsmeade trip that weekend. I guess I was just going back through the list now.

But, things began to wind down. Until three days ago. Three days ago, Dumbledore announced that the first Quidditch match of the season was going to be held on Wednesday, which was today. James had us training as much as we could, and I barely had enough time to copy Shane's homework.

It wasn't exactly the match that had Gryffindors and Slytherins buzzing in a fit of joy, though. It was what was going on in the Room of Requirement _afterwards_. Shane, being the show off and spot-light-hog she was, had arranged for an all student concert after the game. _That_ is why people were so excited.

To tell you the truth, I was excited, too. I'd always heard James go on and on about her singing and performing talents, but I'd never actually _heard_ any of it. I wanted to hear, and I intended to, whether we lost or not.

Currently, I was sitting on a broom with the wind whipping in my face. I kept swinging my bat at nothing, trying to get my new armguards to feel right. I'd had them for little over a month, and they weren't quite broken in yet.

"Ten points to Gryffindor!" Yelled the announcer, a fifth year Ravenclaw named Montez. "A wonderful shot by Potter! Let's go James!"

"Woo!" I howled, cupping a single hand beside my mouth. "That's it, Prongs!"

Then, a streak of brown. I leaned backwards, narrowly missing the Bludger that soared past my face. I watched it carefully as it soared through the air, headed towards a Slytherin. I glanced in the opposite direction at my fellow beater, Alec Johansson.

"And Gryffindor wins!" Montez screamed over the crowd. "Winters has caught the Snitch! The game is over!"

I pulled my hands together, and almost fell off my broom. I could hear Shane and Sam over the crowd. They were chanting.

"Black's an attack, but Potter's kinda hotter!" Their rhymes were horrible, but I admired the effort. So, I soared over beside them, screaming their goofy chants as well.

"And James is not hotter than me!" I yelled at Shane, swinging my broom out from beneath me and standing beside her. She attacked my arm.

"Alright, you caught me!" She yelled back, jumping on top of me and screaming her chants again.

* * *

Everyone was screaming, bouncing and dancing to the beat of the song playing the background. There was a disco ball above our heads, sending little lights all over the place. Sam was pulling me out of the crowd, toward the entrance of the Room of Requirement.

"There's something I need to tell you." She said after we'd separated ourselves from the crowd.

There was something about her, something different. She'd seemed more confident for the past two weeks. She and Shane had been spending a lot of time together. I took that as a good thing. Shane was my best friend, and I wanted Sam to know her.

"Let's do this quick, like pulling off a Band-Aid." She was smiling, but it was sympathetically. She was happy, but sad, too. "We're done."

"What?" I didn't understand what she'd just said, not one bit.

"We're done. The relationship is over." My eyes went wide. That's what she meant, was it? Well, this was a strange twist in my love life. I'd never been dumped before. "I want to see other people."

"Oh…" I mumbled, staring at her with awestruck eyes. "I… I get it… Yea, other people." I shook my head and brought myself gently back to earth. "Alright, good on you, mate. Friends?"

She smiled, nodded, and shook my hand. "Now, I have to go." I watched as she turned and left the hallway, walking back into the Room of Requirement with her head held high.

It didn't really hurt, watching her leave. I actually felt a little freer. So, I walked back into the Room with a smirk on my face. I was thinking about having some fun tonight, if you know what I mean.

"And, without further ado, Shane Spencer!" James cheered as he stood on the stage that had formed in the room. Shane popped up from the crowd and appeared beside him, smiling. She looked in her element here, in a midst of people and fans.

"Hello!" She yelled at the top of her lungs, making the floor shake slightly. "Are you ready?"

"Yes!"

"I can't hear you!"

"YES!"

"Alright!" The crowd of students was going wild. I couldn't believe how good she was at manipulating feelings. Wait, yes I could. She'd done it once before. Made me feel like crap. All by pretending to cry. "Alright, settle down! SETTLE DOWN, ALL YOU GITS!"

"Handled that well." I muttered, shoving my hands into the pockets on my jeans.

"First, I have a very special guest. She's not well known, in fact, she's not known at all. Yet, she's a talent I envy very, _very_ much. Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for Samantha Josephs!"

Sam jumped onto the stage with a smile on her face, waving her hands at people she knew. She looked phenomenal beneath the spot lights, but my heart didn't ache. This was normal for me. What wasn't normal was how my heart reacted when I took a closer look at Shane.

She was wearing a tan polo and really, really short cut off jeans. Normally, she wore cargo shorts or something of the like. I'd never seen her legs before. They were long, lean and well structured. _That_ was something every man desired at least once in his life.

"Sam and I wrote this song together, and it took hazardous months. I'm actually rather sick of it. But, we'll perform it anyways." She said, smiling and pulling her shoulders into a shrug. "Hope you enjoy it." She handed the microphone to Sam and carefully stepped to a large, black piano.

Shane closed her eyes as she gently pressed down on the ivory keys. Sam held the microphone to her mouth, and sang a wonderful tune into it.

I was amazed. Sam had never told anyone that she could sing. Well, she'd never told me. I was happy to hear her singing, but what mystified me was the sound that Shane's made. Her voice was deep for a girl (obviously not like mine), yet it sounded light and girly when she sang. It was a beautiful sound.

The song ended sooner than I thought it would, I guess I slipped into my head. "Thank you, Sam!" Shane was beaming, her eyes full of light and happiness, it was enough to bring me to smile myself. "And, now, at request of my wonderful, amazing, talented friend and number-one-fan, James Potter, I'm going to play a song that I haven't played in a while. How many of you know Perfect Two?"

Perfect Two? A love song? That hardly sounded like Shane. Shane didn't write love songs, did she? It wasn't what I expected from her. I expected songs about world peace and crap like that. Maybe even something about death, but not love.

"Alright, well, I can give it a go. But, like I said, I haven't performed it in a long, _long_ time." Suddenly, she had a guitar strap around her neck. "Thank you, James." She began to strum, and I already knew I'd like it. When her voice added into the sound, I felt the walls I'd built up crumble without detest.

As the song ended, I was left with my heart melting and my knees wobbly. It was Shane's voice. It was the feeling she put into her lyrics. I knew that she'd felt this way about someone once, and I knew that that someone had broken her heart. I wanted to find him, and then kill him slowly.

But, I was pulled out of my little anger fest as she spoke again. I made sure to listen as close as I could, memorize the sound of her voice.

"And, now, we're going to start the party." She said into the microphone, the guitar disappearing again. Music began in the background, and Shane shook her legs out. Then, she sang a tune that was extremely different from everything else I'd heard so far.

"I wanna lie in my bed, and do nothing…" This time, she was dancing. And she kept shooting random boys flirtatious looks. It made me feeling a little angry. Just a little, though. "I got you on my mind, thinking 'bout one thing… Gonna show you how I do it best." Now, she was swinging her hips in circles. "Put my lips on your mouth. Keep you coming around, 'cause I like it, yeah! Put your hands on my hips. Take me down, sink this ship. Boy I can't resist!"

The song sank from my brain as she jumped off the stage and danced over to a fellow seventh year, Austin Mira. She grabbed his hand and set it on her hip. I felt my nails dig into my palm and my knuckles turn white. They were dancing too close. Their faces were too close. Back up, Shane! Back up!

He ran his hand through her hair and that was it. I couldn't take it anymore. I had to leave, get out of that room as fast as I could. I turned my back on them and left the room as quickly as I could without looking suspicious.

As I stomped down the halls, I tried to contain my feelings. Feelings? For what, Shane? No, I didn't have feelings for Shane. Shane was Shane, my best mate, and that was it. My… southern hemisphere was talking (or thinking) for me.

But, if I didn't fancy her, why did I feel so jealous of Austin? Wait, Austin was like me. He jumped from girl to girl, too. That's why I didn't like the idea of those two. I didn't fancy her at all, I was just protective. I didn't want him to hurt her. But, wasn't that a sort of love anyways? Hey, where did the idea of love come from?

"Arg!" I groaned. I stopped and threw my fist into the stone wall to my right. I heard a small crack and pain shot through my arm, but I didn't care. I just needed to get all of these crazy ideas out of my head.

I threw my back against the same wall and slowly slid to the floor. I set my head in my left hand (seeing as my right was at least sprained) and sighed. When I looked up, I tried to figure out where I was.

I could see the greenhouse windows down the hall slightly, and I was shocked at how far I'd gone. The Room of Requirement was on the Seventh Floor, and the Herbology Greenhouses were on the First Floor.

Accidentally, I brushed my right hand against a bench beside me and I gasped in pain. I wanted to go to the Hospital Wing, but I didn't. I couldn't. I had to just sit there, and think things over. I had to understand what was going on in my heart.

"Sirius!" And snap, my heart broke. That voice was so familiar, so perfect. It was too good. "Sirius, what're you doing out here?"

I glanced over at her, and my heart sewed itself back together. "Nothing, just got a headache." That was a lie.

"Alright, but headaches don't do that to your hand." She stepped over to me and knelt beside my bent knees. She grabbed my hand, and the air in my chest froze. "What happened?" She lightly touched my swelling, purple knuckle.

"I… um…" I tried to think of an excuse, but I couldn't. "I, ah, punched the wall."

She stared at me with that look on her face. "Alright, I'll let that lie slide for now." She flipped my hand and trailed her fingers on my palm. "Let's get you to the hospital wing."

"What about your show? There are people that want to see you."

"No, you're more important." She said, carefully helping me to my feet. Four words could make my heart slow down and speed up at the same time, but only if they came from her. "Plus, they've got Sam to entertain them."

"No, I really think you should-"

"Stop that, I'm taking you to the hospital wing whether you like it or not." Her brow was furrowed and she looked serious. I knew by now that it would be best just to oblige and follow her. So, I sighed and started walking with her.

"So, what'd you think?" She asked as she ran her hand through her hair. I scowled at the memory of Austin.

"It was great." I answered in a monotonous voice. Really, I'd thought the show was amazing, Austin was just stuck in my brain.

"So you didn't like it, huh?"

"What, no, I loved it!" I yelped as I turned to her. There was a shy smile on her face, and that was a strange thing. Shane was never shy. "Really, the show was amazing."

Now, her smile was genuine and special. It was one of those smiles that made me feel like the only guy in the world. I really liked that feeling.

"That song you and Sam performed, what was it called?"

"Jar of Hearts, it's called Jar of Hearts." She answered. "And, believe it or not, it's about you." And I was interested. Just like that, I wanted to know more. "Sam still likes you, you know. She just wants to get over you."

"Wait, why me?" I asked, remembering the lyrics to the song.

_Who do you think you are, runnin' 'round leaving scars? Collecting your jar of hearts, tearing love apart._

"What do you mean "why you?"" She looked almost amused. A smirk sat gently on her lips and her eyes said that she was laughing on the inside. I gave her a look, and she sighed. "Think about it, you're a playboy!"

I looked at my feet and thought about it. I'd been with a total of at least fifty girls in the past two years alone. I'd slept with forty of them. Hey, I'd been nice enough to leave twenty percent with their special flower! But, I think maybe Shane was right. Maybe I was a (as she called it) playboy.

"Never mind…" Wonderful, even more added to my mind full of random, dangerous and strange thoughts.

"Yet, you do have your moments." All of the thoughts that had been on my mind three seconds ago disappeared, and I suddenly felt as if the sky had been lifted off my shoulders.

"I do?"

She chuckled. "Yes, you do." She stated, smiling straight ahead. "You can be a wonderful person when you want to be. And an amazing best friend."

I smiled, and felt the urge to grab her hand seize me. Yet, I didn't. And I had two wonderful reasons. First, what would she think? Then there was the fact that my hand was broken.

"Whoa, Senor Dream Land, we turn here."

I jerked myself out of my thoughts and looked to my right, where Shane was standing with her hand gripping my forearm. I stared at that hand as she gently dragged me into the room.

"Hello, Madame Pomfrey."

"Dear, what've you done now, Mr. Black?" The elderly woman asked sternly as she frowned at me. "I hope it's nothing too serious."

"No, no, nothing serious at all, Madame Pomfrey, just a broken hand." Shane answered for me, lifting her hand which, in turn, pulled mine up as well.

"Goodness me, how long have you had this, Mr. Black?" She moved to my side, grabbing my hand from Shane's, and looked at the lump that had formed on my knuckle. It wasn't a good thing that it was turning purple, was it?

"Not very long." I answered, watching the bump curiously.

"A max of twenty minutes." Shane answered, pacing over to the bookshelf on the other side of the room where Madame Pomfrey kept her medical journals. She began flipping through the pages of a random book, and soon sat down on one of the many empty beds.

Madame Pomfrey forced me onto one of the beds and then left to find some Skele-Gro, mumbling about broken wrist and cracked knuckles. Once she had disappeared into the medical cabinet, I stood and rushed to sit beside Shane.

"What're you reading?" I asked as I peered over her slim shoulder. I could see a title higher up on the left page. It read "Magical Bugs and Diseases." Beneath it was several smaller words and a few subtitles.

"A medical journal on Spattergroit." Ah, I knew Spattergroit well. My cousin, Bellatrix, had had it for several months, but still managed to somehow keep up with her schoolwork while at home. She looked horrible those months, thought I never got close enough to take a really good look. Spattergroit is _extremely_ contagious.

"Fascinating." I stated monotonously. It really wasn't at all interesting.

"You're telling me." She said, slamming the book shut and standing to put it back on the shelf. "Now, you better get back in that bed if you want to live through tomorrow, because Pomfrey's coming back."

I yelped and stumbled back over to the bed on the other side of the room. I'd just thrown myself onto the mattress as Madame Pomfrey came out of the cabinet.

"Drink this." She forced a small cup into my good hand, and I stared at the murky green liquid inside. I'd always hated this stuff. But, I pushed back all of my dislikes and forced it down my throat. "I'll give you a splint and let you go to your room for the night. Don't lay on it."

Soon enough, my arm was wrapped up and I was on my feet. I poked at the material I knew so well, having broken many, many bones during my six years previous in Hogwarts. This was minor compared to some of my Quidditch injuries, so I was satisfied. Plus, I got to sleep in my own bed. That was a rare occurrence with Madame Pomfrey.

"Check in tomorrow after breakfast!" Pomfrey yelled as Shane and I began to walk in the opposite direction in which we came.

"Sure." I said, getting my voice to reach the elderly woman without much enthusiasm. "Where are we headed?"

Shane smiled. "The common room, I'm tired and you need your rest." She said, yawn and pushing her arms into the air.

"But I'm not tired."

"You think I give a damn whether or not you're tired?" She asked, glancing at me with an amused look on her face. "_I'm_ tired, and therefore I shall go to bed. Being in an empty tower makes me feel weird, so you're going to sleep, too."

"You have the strangest sense of logic." I shook my head and rubbed at my temple with my good hand. "How can someone so stupid be so brilliant?"

"Ah ha, so I'm brilliant!"

"Scratch that, just stupid."

"Playboy."

"Book worm."

"Screwed up womanizer!"

"I love you, too."

**A/N: I'm posting this chapter a few days early. It would've normally been posted on Thursday of this week, but I have a big announcement. As of today, I have a PhotoBucket account. Using this account, I have posted visuals for this story. Now, you can see what I pictured Shane, Kenneth and several items as. If you search SummerParamour on PhotoBucket, you'll find me.**

**In other news, this is probably one of my favorite chapters. It's all thanks to that little brawl at the end! I have some absolutely wonderful chapters coming your way soon as well. Included in these chapters will be birthdays, Halloween, Christmas, Tragedy and lots and lots of BUTTERBEER!**

**Reviews are love... **

**:D**

**R&R  
**


	12. Detention by Fire Snails

**Disclaimer: I don't own Mandrake, the Marauders, Regulus Black, Fire Snails, or anything of a magical nature. In fact, I don't own anything of a non-magical nature, either. All I own is Shane, Sam and the plot. Please don't steal it!**

**Shane Spencer**

November 15th, 1977

I was sitting in the common room working on an essay that Professor Slughorn had assigned us three days previous. Remus sat beside me, as we were study-buddies. Yes, I just said study-buddies. Anyways, Sirius sat on my other side, taking cautious glances at my parchment and copying down everything that I was writing.

"Name ten ways in which Mandrake was used during the late 1500's." I said, staring at the notes I'd copied down on the essay. "Ten ways? From what I've read there's at least twenty."

"Well, then we'll all get extra credit." I threw a glare at Sirius, but soon refocused on my essay. It took my five minutes to name ten uses, and fifteen to remember the rest. Sirius was scribbling away as I wrote.

Sirius. His hand had healed by now. He had to work to get his fingers to move with the fluid motion they once had, but he said it was good because it would give him a better grip on his Bat during Quidditch games. I, however, was still bugged by it. Well, by that and the fact that he seemed… different… during the past five days. It was strange, but he almost seemed nervous about everything he was doing.

Then there was James. James wasn't really James at all lately. He scoffed at sexual jokes, stood up straight and hadn't earned a single detention yet this year. I'd heard rumors about him being hit by an obedience spell, but I knew that wasn't the case. What was really going on was James was growing up. And it was for a single person, too. We all know who that is.

"Good afternoon, Shane." I smiled and turned to face the familiar voice. Sam stood behind me with a smile on her gorgeous face. She was standing tall, and her voice wasn't quiet, as it once had been.

"Hey, Sam." I said as I twisted in my chair.

"Sirius." She nodded towards my cheating friend, his eyes still locked on my paper. "Remus, can you give me a hand? Poor little Joshua McGrover went and got himself stuck to the portrait of Willy Meer again, and I don't know how to get him down."

"Of course." He said, shutting his books and standing up. "I'll see you later, Shane, Sirius." And then he was gone, following Sam out the portrait hole.

"I think she likes him." I stated, smiling after the two. "Don't you think so, Sirius?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever you think." He mumbled. "What's that word, the one that starts with a T?" I glanced at the essay.

"Theoretically. It says theoretically, Sirius." I mumbled, taking one last glance at the back of the Fat Lady's portrait.

I relaxed and stared out the window, waiting for Sirius to finish copying my work. It had snowed last night, but not much. There was a thin layer of white on the ground, but the grass could still be seen. A few lingering snowflakes fell past the window, almost unseen against the pale blue sky.

"Shane! Hey, Shane!" I turned to face Sirius, whose hand had been waving in front of my face for a solid three minutes. "Are you under some sort of jinx or what?"

"Um, no, just, y'know, thinking." I said, stumbling slightly over my words. Of course, my reply led to a simple smirk on Sirius' face. "Oh, sod off."

He chuckled. "Happily." His chair groaned with protest as he pushed it out and stood up. "There's something I need to show you."

I nodded and stood, following him slowly as he bounced (yes, bounced) through the common room. He had to stop several times to wait for me as we entered the stone arch that led to the Boys' Dormitories. I'd been in the Marauders' dormitory several times before, but I don't think I'd ever been in there alone with Sirius. And, with the way he was acting, I was beginning to feel slight fear.

"Oh, come on!" He groaned, grabbing my hand and practically dragging me the last of the length through the staircase and corridor. I stared at his hand curiously the entire way. This had happened before, too. Yes, I often thought about how warm his hands were. It was a strange thought, none the less.

"I've been meaning to give you this for a while, I just didn't know exactly how." He said as he opened the door and stepped into the already messy dormitory. Two months and clothes had already found their way to the floor. Books were scattered and parchment surrounded Remus' bed. He was normally so clean.

I watched as Sirius dug through his trunk, which sat at the end of his bed. Broken quills flew through the air, as well as several socks and shirts. I could swear I even saw a pair of plaid boxers soar onto James' bed.

"Here it is!" He exclaimed, holding a purple book out to me. It almost looked like one of those journals that you can buy at leather stores. As I took it, I got closer examination. There was a leather strap keeping the book shut, and the letters S, S and A were printed into the bottom left corner of the front cover. Brown words were faint near the top of the book, and could not be read.

"What the hell is it?" I asked as I flipped it over in my hands.

Sirius stood and stepped to my side. "It's about you. Y'know, your kind." He said, snatching the book from my hands. He opened it to a random page. "There's no prejudice, so I thought you'd like it more than The Harsh History of the Imperator Creatura."

"Sirius, I've searched every shelf, hidden room and random spot in this castle! Where'd you find it?" I grabbed it back and smiled at the crisp, old pages. I could tell it was old, but not very well used.

"I, um, bought it." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. "That day when we went to Tomes and Scrolls, it was the book that I bought."

"You've had it for an entire year!" He seemed surprised that I'd closed the book and used it to smack him. He should've known me better by now.

"No, not an entire year!" He yelped, jumping onto his bed and hiding behind one of the posts. "Plus, I gave it to you now, didn't I?"

"Why'd you keep it anyways? You said so yourself that you weren't interested in what I was."

"Well, I found that it would be better to know about what you are." He stepped off his bed, but still watched me carefully. "I don't want to be kept in the dark if you're having any sort of problems."

I took a deep breath, and smiled at him. "I understand now, and thank you." I said as I skipped over to him and threw an arm around his shoulders, making him bend down. "But, I have to get going. I don't wanna be late for my lessons with Dumbledore again."

He nodded and tugged my arm away so he could stand up straight again. "Alright, get going!" And then I was gone, the book tucked away under my arm.

* * *

I slammed the book down on Sirius' Charms essay. The git thought this was funny? Well, then again, it's Sirius. He thinks everything's funny.

"Hey!" He yelped, glaring up at me as he set his quill down. "I was almost done with that, and now there's a big blotch on the page!"

"You deserve it!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" He asked, the glare disappearing and a look of confusion consuming his handsome face.

"The damn book won't open! What kind of a prank is this?" I snatched the book and pulled the leather strap loose. Then, I tried to pull it open. I even gripped both edges and tried to remove the pages from each other. Nothing worked.

"Oh…" He said, gently taking it from my hands and easily pulling it open. I stared in awe.

"How'd you do that?" I asked, taking the book from his willing hands and looking over the pages.

"I just opened it." He shrugged, pulling me onto the bench beside him. "But, when I bought it, that creepy guy said it had a mind of its own. Maybe this is what he meant."

I nodded and stared at the page. The first paragraph I read was about what a dangerous species we were. It wasn't insulting, like the two other books I'd read, but it still made me feel a little guilty. What's worse, Sirius knew about this. And, seeing as he _was_ Sirius, he most likely thought I was like this all the time. No, he would've disappeared from my life a long time ago if that was true.

"Ms. Spencer?"

I slammed the book shut and flashed around, relieved when I saw the tall, crooked figure of Professor McGonagall.

"Oh, Professor, it's just you." I said, setting a hand over my beating heart.

"Ms. Spencer, do you happen to know anything about the Fire Snail in the Boys' Lavatory?" She asked, looking at me over the rim of her slim, wire-frame glasses.

"How ever did you get that impression?"

"Your name was on the wall in large, purple letters." She explained, scowling at me. "Of course, Mr. Black's was there as well."

Sirius scoffed. "I didn't put anything in the _Boys'_ Lavatory." He answered, grinning wickedly. We knew we were already in trouble, might as well add some fuel to the fire. At least, I knew that's how Sirius' mind was working.

"Oh, those poor girls!"

"Girls? What're you talking about? I put the snail in the Teachers' Lounge." Sirius and I gave each other a big high five, grins on our faces. And, as I looked back to McGonagall, I flinched. Her face was as red as a tomato and furious glare was plastered to her thin lips.

"Detention, five o'clock in my classroom!" Then, she proceeded down the aisle and towards her spot at the staff table.

"Yes!" I yelped. "And the Marauders strike again!"

"Shut up and eat."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

I was on my knees, using a toothbrush to scrub every crack and crevice on the Grand Staircase. This wasn't that bad, though. Once, I was forced to mow the Quidditch field with a pair of safety scissors. It would've been fun, had McGonagall let me help Sirius with his work, and then he with I. But, apparently, that was dangerous for students, staff and ghosts alike.

I stuck the brush into the bucket of water I had beside me and scrapped at a blue spot on the top of one of the steps. I thought it was toothpaste at first, but was proven wrong when it moved to the right, avoiding my finger.

"Having fun, Spencer?"

I was as fast as lightning as I turned around. The voice was smooth and familiar, and that made me feel scared. I really wish Sirius was here. Either that or I had my wand.

"Not really, Regulus." I said, glaring at him. I'd run into Regulus time and again, but I'd always had my wand, and Sirius had always been at my side. "Why don't you have a go and see for yourself how fun it is?"

"Happily." He smirked, whipping his wand out and giving it a flick. A blue toothbrush appeared in his hand and he knelt down beside me. He brushed his long, black hair out of his eyes as he tried to scrub at the blue spot. "What?" He asked as he caught me staring.

"I didn't know you'd actually do it." I said, staring at him as if he were balancing a plate on his nose.

"Well, my brother isn't around, so I'm safe to actually speak to you." He smiled at me, and I was suddenly weary. He'd always hated me, so why did he all of a sudden want to _talk_ to me?

"Interesting… And do you find yourself to be bipolar?"

He laughed, his voice just as calm and smooth as before, only now in the form of happiness. "No, I'm not bipolar. And I'm not crazy, either. A little devious, yes, but not crazy."

I smirked a little bit and went back to scrubbing the stairs. We were silent for a while, the sound of bristles against stone the only noise we heard. It was comforting, working with him and knowing that he wasn't going to bite my head off.

As we worked, we talked a little bit, and I couldn't help but to smile somewhere in there. I knew Sirius was going to kill me when he found out. But, what if he didn't find out? What if he never knew about this little exchange between Regulus and I? Yeah, that's what I was going to do. I just wouldn't tell him.

"How long did McGonagall tell you that you'd have to do this?" I looked over at him, and then up the staircase.

"Until eight, I think." I said, scrubbing at the stone again. "She should be coming to give me my wand back soon."

"I see." He said, carefully dropping his toothbrush over the side of the staircase. "Well, then I should get going. We wouldn't want McGonagall to make you do this again tomorrow because I helped you."

I nodded in agreement. Then, we stood. "Let's not tell Sirius about this." I mumbled, rubbing the back of my neck through my hair.

"I agree." He said, sticking out his hands. "But, only if we don't tell the Slytherins, they'd kill me if they knew we actually got along."

I shook his hand and smiled. "Agreed. See you later, Regulus."

"Goodbye, Shane." And then he was gone. I stood and watched him leave as he turned the corner.

"Ms. Spencer, I do believe that your detention time is up." I spun on my heel to see the woman being spoke of not a moment ago. She looked pleased, a smirk on her face.

I nodded, dropped my toothbrush into the bucket, and ran off towards the common room. As I strode through the halls, I tried to move Regulus from my mind. I couldn't afford to let it slip out in front of Sirius. So, as I stepped into the portrait hole, my mind was on the laborious detention I'd just had.

"How was scrubbing the staircase?" Sirius asked as I sat down beside him.

I gulped and shrugged. "Just like it always is, tiresome and boring." I said, staring straight ahead and into the fire.

"I heard you got a little help." Remus pointed out, sitting in between the two of us. "I also heard that it was a boy. Well, who is he?"

"Who is who?" I asked, staring at Remus (or at least trying to) like he was insane.

"Your secret boyfriend? C'mon, out with it!" He chuckled, setting his hand on my shoulder and shaking me a little bit. "You can't hide it forever, you know."

"That's what I'm afraid of." I mumbled under my breath, making sure that no one would hear it.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!" Faster than a rabbit being chased by a bear, I was off the couch and making my way up the staircase that led to the Girls' Dormitories. I could hear the two boys yelling for me to come back, and James' voice soon joined as well. I ignored them, and grabbed Lily as I passed her in the corridor.

"Shane, I need to know what's going on if I'm going to help at all." She said as I stomped inside, after pushing her forcefully inside, and slammed the door.

"I have a problem." I said, glaring at nothing particular. "I have a really, really bad problem. A deadly problem, possibly."

"Then you better spit it out fast, because I have patrols with James and I'm _not_ going to be late."

I flashed a devilish grin, and she smacked me. "Ow!" I yelped as her fist made contact with my jelly-like left arm. "That hurt, Lily! That hurt really bad… in here." I pointed to my heart, and she snorted.

"You've been spending too much time with Sirius."

"Because he won't bloody leave me alone!"

"On with your problem, please."

"Oh, right!" I remembered my problem with the two Black brothers. "Well, during my detention, something really _strange_ happened." I began. I told her about the whole situation, and a look of horror struck her gorgeous face when I mentioned Regulus' name.

"Shane, Regulus Black is a Death Eater. He's dangerous!" She scolded me, standing up from the position she'd taken on the edge of my bed. "He could hurt you, and if that happened Sirius, James, Remus and I would all be in shambles."

"I'm not afraid of Regulus, it's Sirius I'm scared of!" I cried, snatching my pillow and hugging it to my chest. "I know him better than he knows himself, and I know that he'll get angry at me if I told him about Regulus."

"You shouldn't be scared of your best friend." She said, sitting down again and wrapping her thin arm around my shoulders. She laid her head against mine. "Sirius _will_ get over it, even if he doesn't understand right away."

I sighed and nodded. "Thank you, Lily."

She squeezed my shoulders, and stood again. "Now, I have to get going. I'll tell the boys to let you be for the night." Then, she let go of me and ran out the door.

I sighed, and laid back, throwing my pillow under my head. I didn't bother to change out of my jeans and T-shirt, I just slept in what I was wearing. I was so tired.

**A/N: Right now, I'm in the perfect mood to write this story. I just got finished watching Remember Me, starring Robert Pattinson, and the main character dies in the end. In other words, I'm overwhelmed with sadness and grief. Perfect mood. Trust me, you'll understand why sadness is the perfect emotion for the story soon enough. **

**Anyways, this is the first time I've actually made Regulus play a _big_ part in the story. He'll play a larger part as the story continues, so you Regulus fans just stick with me. And, I know I haven't updated in a few weeks, and that's because I haven't been feeling the right emotions for the story lately. I need sorrow, sadness and anger, but I've been feeling really happy lately. I will get more chapters on, I promise. But, until then, this one will have to do.**

**Thank you for reading.**

**R&R  
**


	13. The Patronus

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Marauders, the Room of Requirement, Dumbledore, the Patronus Charm or anything else that just might happen to be mentioned, but I forgot to add. All I own is Shane and the plot. Thank you!**

**Sirius Black**

November 15th, 1977

"Shane doesn't want to be disturbed, leave her alone." Evans said as she skipped down the steps, landing gently in front of Moony, Prongs and I. "Let's go, James."

All care left Prongs' face, and he followed her with his head held high. He shot me a guilty glance as he left, but nothing else was said.

"Bloody biggest-fan he is." I mumbled, clenching my fists as I glared at the back of the Fat Lady's portrait.

"There's nothing we can do for her, she just needs to be alone for a while." Moony said, patting my arm and sitting in the armchair to my left.

I grunted, and glared into the fire. "Who do you think he is? The bloke you were talking about earlier?" I glanced at him only to find him smirking at me. "What?"

"You're jealous of him."

"Why would I be jealous of Shane's boyfriend?" I scoffed, crossing my arms and pushing my back even further into the cushy, mahogany couch.

"I know that you fancy her, Sirius. I hear you mumble her name in your sleep." That was embarrassing. "If you have such strong feelings for her, why don't you just ask her to Hogsmeade?"

"Do I really say her name in my sleep?"

"Sirius…"

"Alright, I fancy her! What's the big deal?" The scowl left my face as I glanced to my right, away from Moony. "Really, I don't see why you're fussing over this."

"Sirius Pollux Black, are you saying you're not going to even _try_ to get her to go to Hogsmeade with you?" I looked back to Remus. He was on his feet now, a frown on his scarred face.

"No, I'm not. She deserves better than me." I answered, pulling my arms from my chest and standing up as well. "Don't you think she could do _so_ _much_ _better_ than Hogwarts' man-whore? I do, I know she could. Plus, she's got a boyfriend now." As I said this, I turned around and began to head for the dormitory. I couldn't talk about her anymore, not without breaking out in tears.

"That's never stopped you before!"

I stopped dead in my tracks. He was completely right. I'd never stopped going after something I wanted because of a boyfriend. But, Shane was going to be an exception. The only exception. She was different. The way I felt about her was different. I wasn't going to ask her to go out with me knowing that I'd only hurt her in the end.

I began walking again, thinking about her face. Her pale skin, her liquid-gold eyes, her smile. I never realized how much I loved her smile. I wanted to keep that smile on her face, I wasn't going to wipe it off.

* * *

"It was amazing! We just sort of clicked!" James was going on and on about his night with Lily. He said it was a date, she didn't. It was really annoying. "She even let me hold her hand!"

I glared at the pancakes on my plate, and then attacked them with my fork. Remus was staring at me, nodding when appropriate so James thought he was listening. I felt like he was upset with me, which I knew he was. Why he wanted me to gather my guts and ask Shane out I hadn't a clue. I'd always thought he liked her. Maybe she liked him.

"Good morning!" The usual, peppy voice I was dreading ran through my head.

"Who is he?"

"I don't have a god damn boyfriend!" She yelled at Moony, setting herself down on the bench beside me. "We're just friends, and I'm not going to tell you who he is!"

"Oh, c'mon." He muttered, fingering his toast eagerly. "You're going to tell me eventually, whether you like it or not." With that, he tucked the toast in between his teeth and stood, slinging his bag over his shoulder and beginning to leave.

As he walked away, I made a sort of spur of the moment decision.

"See you later." I said, standing as well. I ran after him, catching up quickly. "How do you suggest I pop the question?" I asked, glaring at the stone floor in front of me.

"So you changed your mind?"

I sighed, nodded, and stared guilty at the same spot as before.

"Well good, I think you two would make an excellent couple." I looked at him as he continued. "But, I'm not sure how you can ask her. That's normally you're profession."

"But I don't know how to ask out someone I actually care about!"

"Listen, I'll come up with something. In the meantime, just show a little interest." He set a comforting hand on my shoulder as I began to think about showing _feelings_. "It's going to be alright, Padfoot."

I nodded, I tugged the strap of bag and sighed. "I just don't want to screw this up."

"You won't, and you want to know how I can tell?"

"How?"

"You _haven't_ screwed up yet."

* * *

"And that means sky, doesn't it?" I asked as I stared at the page of symbols Shane was holding in front of my nose.

"No, Sirius. That means death."

"Oh." Was my oh so brilliant reply.

"Don't worry, you'll get it sooner or later. And I won't stop until you do." Her faith in me was nice. It was a wonderful feeling, knowing that she believed in me and cared enough to try and help. It was something I'd never gotten from anyone. Not even the rest of the Marauders did that.

"Then let's keep going." She nodded and pointed to another random symbol.

"Hey, Shane, don't you have lessons with Dumbledore in the Room of Requirement?" Remus asked, sitting down beside her and pulling the book from her thin and pale fingers.

"Whoops!" She yelped, jumping up from her chair and slinging her bag over her thin shoulder. "Sorry, Sirius. We'll continue this when I get back." And then she was off, her short legs carrying her as fast as they could.

As she disappeared from sight, I glared over at Moony. He just smiled at me, and then stood.

"She can't be late again, you know." With that, he turned and began to talk to Prongs about some schoolwork or something.

The smile he'd had plastered to his face wasn't the normal one. He was hiding something behind that smile. It wasn't even a smile, really. It was more of a smirk. He was planning something, and I really wanted to know what it was.

"So, you're asking Shane out?" James had pushed past Moony, and now stood before me with his hands bracing the rest of his body against the edge of the table.

"He told you?" I whispered harshly.

"'Course he did. Everyone's going to know soon anyways." He said, sitting down across from me and giving me a solemn look. "But, we need to set some ground rules."

"Um…"

"First, no kissing her in front of me, or I'll be forced to act as her body guard and kill you. Second, she's my precious little angel and you will _not_ take her special flower and leave." He went on with about twenty more strange rules, and I didn't really listen. I just pretended to. "You got all got that?"

"Oh, yeah, every single word." I mumbled. I stood, stretched, and rubbed my eyes. "What bloody time is it?"

"It's only seven, Sirius." Moony called, not even bothering to look up from the book in his lap as he sat in his spot near the fire.

"Wonderful, I'll be board for another two hours."

"Why don't you go wander down to the kitchens? I found a new passageway that's just past the Arithmancy class room." Remus suggested, finally looking up from his book. "Go see if it works for me, would you?"

I watched him carefully, but nodded in agreement and began to make my way out of the common room. Moony was acting strange today. It was making me feel a little uneasy.

As I followed the corridor, I subconsciously began to whistle. The tune was familiar, and I chuckled when I realized where I'd heard it. It was the song Shane had performed with Sam.

I continued whistling the tune as I stopped in front of the Room of Requirement. Shane was right behind that wall, waiting for me to burst in there and ask her out. But, Dumbledore was there, too. I didn't want Dumbledore to be there when I asked her out so he could use it against me later on.

Suddenly, the door I knew well began to form in the side. Shane couldn't be done with her lessons already. Her lessons always lasted until right before curfew. I watched as the wood and iron seemed to seep through the wall and swing open, revealing a sick looking Dumbledore.

And boy did he look sick. His face was green, the bags under his eyes were more prominent than normal and he was clutching his stomach tightly.

"Ah, young Mr. Black…" The old man mumbled, staggering closer to me. "I'm not feeling well, would you help Shane with her lessons for tonight? Thank you, my boy."

_This is perfect!_ I thought as I watched him waddle away. I could be alone with Shane for the first time since a long time ago, and I could ask her out without there being a ton of swarming fan girls.

"I wonder what happened." I looked to my right to see the top of Shane's head as she too watched Dumbledore hobble away from us. "Anyways, come on." She grabbed my arm and pulled me into the Room of Requirement.

"Listen, I don't think I'm the best teacher!" I yelped. Big mistake. "I'll go get Moony, and he can teach you!"

"No, I wanna see you fail at this, just like me." She said, swishing her wand through the air. "Dumbledore does it just like that, and I just can't get it!"

"Well, what're you working on?" I asked, glancing around the room and taking in the magnificent scenery.

The room was larger than I'd ever seen it. The roof was domed and supported by hundreds of stone pillars, gently sloping into the circular walls. I jumped when I saw my reflection in them. Had my hair really gotten that long?

"Dumbledore's been trying to teach me how to cast a Patronus, but I can't do it no matter how hard I try." She said, scuffing her shoe against the marble floor beneath us. I had no doubt there was a cushioning charm cast on it.

"Patronus? You're really working on a Patronus?"

She nodded. "Dumbledore says it'll help me with my transformations. He says that, if I figure out what my soul looks like, it'll be easier to change into that one thing, and then the others."

The way she was talking about all of this made me feel something, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Every word and syllable screamed important at the top of its lungs. She was serious about all of this. She needed help, and I was happily going to give it to her.

"Alright," I started. "Show me what you've been doing so far."

She nodded again, and raised her wand. "_Expecto Patronum!_" A wisp of white light came from the tip of her wand, but nothing of immense force. I'd never seen her struggle with a spell before.

"Tell me what your happy thought is." I mumbled, staring at the space that the wisp had formed.

"I've been trying a lot, which one do you want to know?"

"The one you just used, what was it?"

"Um…" She mumbled, scratching her head. "I was thinking about the first time I played the piano."

"That's not good enough. You have to think of the happiest moment in your life. You have to remember the scene, the words, the smells and sounds, everything has to be there." I told her, pulling my own wand from my back pocket. "For me, it's the moment I was sorted into Gryffindor. I remember listening to the entire table clap for me, the spring in my step, and the way I almost cried."

With that memory in my mind, I flicked my wand. Having been practicing this spell for several years, I could easily perform it wordlessly. From the tip of my black wand protruded the nose of a dog, soon followed by its head, torso and back legs. Landing on the floor in front of me, it stood majestically. A sense of pride hung in the air around us.

"See?" I asked, allowing my focus to slip and the dog to disappear.

She nodded. "The happiest moment in my life?" She looked to me, a small smile on her pale lips.

I nodded in return, tucking my wand away and sticking my hands in the pockets of my jeans. "The happiest you can possibly think of."

She looked at her wand, obviously flipping through her memories. I began to wonder what her memory was going to be. I knew I was being silly, but I was hoping I would be part of it. Even if it were about all of the Marauders, I would still be a part of her happiness.

"Got it." She whispered, raising her wand for a second time and holding it high. "_Expecto Patronum!_" Again, a slight wisp of light erupted, but it still wasn't a full Patronus.

"That was the happiest I've ever been, why isn't it working?" She looked to me for an answer, but I wasn't sure myself.

"Well, first, tell me the memory." I stepped a little closer to her in false hopes. I wanted to know if I was part of her happiest memory.

"I was imagining those few days over the summer that I came to visit you. Remember, for the Quidditch World Cup." She looked at me. "More specifically, the jelly bean fight in your room with the others."

I laughed, jumping for joy on the inside. "That was fun." I said, sighing and running my hand through my hair. "That isn't the problem, then. Let me see you stance."

She immediately shuffled and held her wand out. I examined every inch of her arm. And, when I reached her hand, I knew what was going wrong.

"You're choking up on your wand." I mumbled, stepping behind her and helping her position it correctly. I nearly fainted at the contact between us. It was like a lightning bolt flew down and hit my heart. "Dumbledore misses the smallest things." I whispered in her ear. "Now try."

She took a shaky breath. "_E-Expecto Patronum!_" This time, something happened. A large, shaggy figure protruded from the wand, forming for only a second, and then disappearing again. A bear. Her Patronus was a bear.

"Well done." I said in her ear, carefully removing my hand from hers.

"I did it!" She yelped, spinning on her heel and tackling me to the floor. Her thin arms wrapped around my neck as she buried her head into my neck. Her hair tickled my face, and left a slight scent of coconut hanging in the air. "Thank you, Sirius."

I smiled into her hair. "You're welcome, Shane." I wrapped my arms around her waist and held her close to me. This was different from all of the other hugs we'd shared. I didn't want to let go. I just wanted to hold her forever, and I wanted her to want to hold me forever, as well. "There's something I want to ask you."

"What is it?" She asked, loosening her grip on me and rolling off. She looked at me with curious eyes, and I suddenly wished I hadn't brought it up at all. What if she said no? What if she didn't want anything to do with me?

I gave out an audible gulp, and sucked all of my fears in. I was going to have to do this. There was no better time that the present. "I was, um, w-wondering if you might want to, you know, um, join me in Hogsmeade next weekend."

"I'm already _joining_ you, Sirius." She said, smirking at me. "Remember, the Marauders are planning to light Madame Puddifoot's on fire."

"Um, I-I sort of meant, um, just me. Without James and Remus and Peter." I glanced away, very aware that my face was turning a rather disgusting shade of red.

"Like a date?"

"Um… Yeah."

She was quiet, her eyes boring into mine as I finally looked straight at her. "Sirius, I would be honored to go on a date with you."

"Really?" I asked, a smile coming to my face. I swear she'd said yes.

She nodded. "As long as we still get to burn Madame Puddifoot's to the ground."

I laughed, crossed my legs in a comfortable fashion and looked up at the ceiling. "I only have one question," I said, folding my arms behind my head. "Why date a loser like me?"

She laughed and set her head against my shoulder. "You're not a loser, you're just strange. Just like me."

"Oh really, is that why I like you so much?" I asked playfully, finding her hand and curling my fingers around it.

We spent at least another hour in the Room of Requirement. Just talking. She told me a few stories from her childhood, and I told her a few of mine. It was a nice feeling, knowing that she was at least going to give me a chance. And, as I thought about all of this, I realized that I now knew why Moony had been acting so strange. He'd set all of this up. Somehow, he'd gotten Dumbledore into a slump, and he'd sent me past the Room of Requirement at the perfect time. I'd have to thank him later.

**A/N: Well, they're together. Finally, right? This is where it ends, right? WRONG! We have, like, at least seven more chapters to go. I wrote two of them today because our internet was down and I couldn't do anything else. And, boy, did writing that much make me depressed. Not only that, but my gerbil might pass away soon. But, you never know, he might just jump up and dance around. That would be AWESOME! Anyways, I have a lot planned for the story. You can find out more about this at Imperator Creatura's new WEBSITE!**

**Yes, I made a website all about this story. I know, it's kinda dorky, but I'm in love with Imperator Creatura and I want all of you to be able to have your questions answered. The website's link is...**

**imperatorcreatura . weebly . com only without the spaces  
**

**There you can find information on characters, settings, and the all exclusive _Imperator Creatura_. There's also a question/comment box on the Home Page. So, if you have a question or comment about the story or my writing or just me in general, hit me up at the website! **

**I NEEEEEEEEEEDDDDDDD REVIEWS...**

**R&R  
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	14. Butterbeer and Kisses

**Disclaimer: I don't own Lily Evans, the Marauders, Dumbledore or any of J. K. Rowling's other characters. I also do not own Hogsmeade, Hogwarts, Madame Pudifoot's, the Three Broomsticks or the often mentioned Butterbeer. All I own is Shane and Skippy and the plot.**

**Shane Spencer**

November 26th, 1977

Why was I working so hard to look my best? It's not like Sirius cared what I looked like. Okay, he probably did. He was just that shallow, but it wasn't that bad. Still, I felt the need to look nice. I wanted to impress him. I'm such a loser.

"You're doing your hair all wrong!" Lily shouted as she ran over and pulled my hands from my brown locks. "You're hair looks best down and curled."

I sighed and watched my hair in the mirror as it swirled and flew all around me. I appreciated all of her attempts to make me look as nice as I felt I had to, but she was pulling at my roots too much and my hair felt like it was about to fall out.

"Lily, really, it's not like I'm meeting the president," I mumbled, crossing my arms to show my annoyance. "It took two bloody hours to get my hair ready for that."

"Still, I can tell you want to look nice for Black."

"Would you at least call him by his first name?"

"No."

"Then I'll call James Potter."

"You can't do that, you're his friend. _I_ personally think you could do much better than _Black_."

I scoffed. "You just admitted that you're dating James." Of course, this comment had earned me a swift smack in the back of the head. It was worth it, though. The face she made when I said "dating" was priceless.

She had me dressed in a stylish coat sooner than I would've if I'd been forced to dress myself. I also wore boots that I didn't know I owned. I was glad that I was wearing them because the snow had build up in the past week. I was glad that I didn't know I owned them because they were butt-ugly. Then, we walked side by side down to the common room.

"Hello, ladies." Remus greeted us gently, offering a smile.

"Good afternoon, Remus." Lily smiled, pushing me towards Sirius. "How are you today?"

"Where's Peter?" I asked, interrupting Remus because none of us wanted to hear about his problems with all of his homework.

"Peter had to go home. I'm afraid his mum's ill and he'll be spending several months there, taking care of her." James said, sounding intelligent for Lily. It was actually very convincing.

"Oh, that's too bad. We'll have to send something." I said, allowing Sirius to snatch my hand and entwine his fingers with mine. "Speaking of sending something, what do you all want for Christmas?"

"You shouldn't be the one asking about presents," Sirius spoke for the first time that day. His voice was calming. "It _is_ your birthday on the twentieth."

"Seventeen, they grow up so fast." James feigned sadness. "Where the time goes I'll never know."

"Shut up, Potter!" I yelled, pulling a Pumpkin Pasty (how it got in there I'll never know) from my pocket and throwing it at him.

"Seventeen, we'll have to have a party." Sirius mumbled, pulling me in front of him and wrapping his arms around my waist.

"A party's fine, but it's only going to be our two dorms." I said, leaning against him gently. "I really don't want to have to deal with any of my Slytherin fans on my birthday."

"Understandable, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to embarrass you on that day." I could tell he was smirking, and I knew he was completely and utterly serious about it. He was going to do something stupid on my birthday, like serenade me or something of the like.

I smiled at the thought of him singing. It was funny as hell. "Let's go." I gave out a snort of laughter and pushed myself out of his grip. I allowed him to grab my hand and lead the way.

The group made our way out of the castle, chatting amiably about the ongoing Quidditch season. Several times I found myself on Sirius' back.

When our relationship began, I thought everything was going to change completely. I thought we wouldn't be able to have fun anymore. I'd been proved wrong several times. We still played all sorts of pranks, and we still spent every night in the boys' dormitory with a pile of candy. Nothing had really changed at all. We were still the same pair of goof-balls, only now we were a _couple_ of goof-balls.

"Where to first?" Remus asked, pulling his hat down slightly further as to cover his ears.

"I say we go scope out Madame Puddifoot's." Sirius said, hoisting me upon his back. I smiled as we found ourselves on the dirt road in Hogsmeade.

Hogsmeade was beautiful in the winter. A thick layer of white snow laid against the buildings, having been trampled on the road and turned into brownish-gray slush. Smoke rose from the smokestacks, clearly seen in the cold air and light-blue backdrop of sky. Several happy groups of travelers and Hogwarts students stood and sat around the long stretch of road, laughing and smiling like there were no tomorrow.

I'd always loved Hogsmeade. It was an amazing little town with sociable people and kind shop-owners. It was the only all-wizard village in Britain, and that is why I found it so interesting.

"No, the Three Broomsticks!" I yelped. "Three Broomsticks, Three Broomsticks!"

Why was I so excited about the Three Broomsticks? Butterbeer. I loved Butterbeer. In fact, James often said I had an unhealthy obsession with the drink. I was planning on asking Rosmerta how she made it or where she bought it from… someday.

"Alright, alright," Remus groaned, covering his ears as I started squealing. "We feed Shane's Butterbeer needs and then go to Puddifoot's."

There was a round of nods, and a spazzy jump from me. Lily, who didn't normally accompany us on these trips, stared at me with a worried look on her face.

"Are… Are you alright, Shane?" She asked, gripping James' sleeve.

I smiled, nodded, and squealed some more. "Butterbeer, Butterbeer, I love Butterbeer!" I sang to myself. I could feel Sirius shaking beneath me, trying to hold back his laughter. "Go ahead, Sirius, let it all out!"

He began chuckling as we stepped inside the Three Broomsticks. I took in the familiar scent of rotting wood and mildew and sighed. I loved that smell. Wait! There was something else there!

_Oh, wait, I'm on Sirius' back. I really like his cologne…_I thought to myself as I took a big gulp of his scent. He smelled like pine trees and peaches. I liked pine trees and peaches.

I sighed and looked around at the interior of the Three Broomsticks. It was a dark room. There was a fireplace if you turned left as soon as you entered, and the bar was to the right. On the walls, antlers and other such things hung from plaques. Being part animal myself, I found this offensive. There were very few windows, and the ones there were were opened as wide as they could go to let out all of the smoke hanging in the air.

James went off on his own to buy us all a mug of Butterbeer (my tongue literally flopped out of my mouth at the thought) and Sirius and Remus moved two tables together. Lily and I sat down across from each other, and Remus sat at the end closest to us. Sirius sat beside me, his chair groaning with protest as he scooted closer to me and draped his arm over my shoulders.

"Butterbeer for all!" James yelped, setting five mugs down on the tables in front of us.

"Yay!" I snatched one of the cups and raised it to my mouth, taking a giant gulp of the rich, creamy liquid. It flew down my throat, and any tension in my body loosened. As always, it was warm, but not _too_ warm.

I sighed in contentment and leaned back in my chair. I felt Sirius pull me a little closer, and found out why as one of the new employees (Rosmerta had lost several due to the need of staff in the Ministry) walked past, his eyes locked on me. I smiled and cuddled into Sirius' side.

"Well, I heard it's someone's birthday soon." I jumped in Sirius' arms and spun in my chair. Standing behind me in her normal outlandish robes was Rosmerta, a smile on her round face. She flipped her blonde curls off her shoulder and continued. "Seventeen, is it?"

I nodded. "Yep! Apparently, I'm having a small party."

"I didn't _promise_ it would be small." I heard Sirius mumble before taking a large gulp from his mug.

I glared at him for a moment, and then returned my eyes to Rosmerta.

"Since when can Mr. Black have his arm around you without loosing it?" She asked, smiling at the muscular arm that sat protectively across my shoulders.

"Since he asked me out a week ago." I was beaming. I could feel my lips stretching from ear to ear.

"Finally gathered his guts and did it, did he?" She asked, setting her petite hands on her hips. "Good on you, Sirius. Way to win the prize!"

I glanced at him and smirked. His face was red as a tomato and his eyes acted like Rosmerta wasn't there. I'd never really seen him nervous, much less nervous about _me_.

* * *

A grunt found its way into my mouth as I slowly lifted myself to my feet. My legs burned and my head ached, not to mention my pounding heart. My eyes were bloodshot, and my arms shook. I'd been working for too long. Dumbledore didn't expect me to go any further in this state, did he?

"Once more, Shane." He mumbled, his hands folded behind his back.

"I can't, Professor…" I whispered. It was all I could muster as my breath was coming out in gusts and being sucked in at rapid speeds. "I can't… I can't go anymore…"

"Once more." His voice was stern and hard, and I knew he was completely serious. I had to go once more. "One more time, and then you can retire for the night."

I nodded and closed my eyes. I pictured a bear. Its shaggy fur and large paws, the black nose and eyes, everything was pictured in my mind. I felt all of my energy surge into my feet, and the transformation slowly begin.

I gasped. The pain was excruciating, but I knew that I had to endure it and move on. In my mind, I pictured Sirius standing in front of me, yelling words of encouragement. He'd be whooping and smiling and calling me bad names, but in the sweet way. He would be my reason.

Suddenly, I felt a surge of power and all of my energy gently rose through my body. I felt everything around me change as I pushed myself to my limits.

I let a final groan escape my lips, and fell forwards. But, instead of landing on my face, I landed on two large, hairy paws. And when I went to say something, all I heard was a sound mixed between a whine and a groan.

I looked down at my paws and felt my jowls curl back over my razor sharp teeth in some sort of weird bear smile.

I yelped and clomped over to Dumbledore, throwing my weight on him and lapping at his face with my new and strange tongue.

"My goodness, Shane," He chuckled, hitting the ground with a thump and rolling his face away from my tongue. "I'm an old man, my dear."

I made my bear noise and gently pushed my way off of him, beginning to run around and getting the feel of my padded paws and new weight. It was strange, walking on all fours. It felt like I was waddling all the time. I liked it.

"Alright, my dear, time for bed."

I groaned and put on my "puppy-dog face."

"No, bed."

I made another one of my noises and stared at the old man for several seconds, seeing if I could get his solid façade to waver. It didn't, and I fluently changed back into myself. I found myself sitting on my behind in a pile of needles.

"Goodnight, Professor." I said with a smile before jumping to my feet and booking it. I had to get to the castle as fast as I could so I could wake Sirius up and tell him all about what happened.

My Converse clad feet pounded heavily as the tension in my thighs resumed its rightful place. I groaned, and slowed down slightly as to let myself rest. My headache found its way back, and I knew that I was going straight to bed. I could tell Sirius later.

As I stepped through the portrait hole, I closed my eyes and groaned.

"Long night?"

"What the hell?" I yelped, jumping out of my socks and flashing my wand out. My eyes flashed open at the speed of light as I twisted my body towards the fireplace. But, my momentary surprise was short-lived. "Don't scare me like that!"

Sirius just smiled at me, amusement shinning in his beautiful grey eyes. "Sorry, love." He patted the spot beside him.

I smiled, tucking my wand away and quickly striding to sit beside him. As I did so, he leaned back on one hand, using his other one to stroke the back of my over-grown, brown hair.

"You were out later than usual," He mumbled, his fingers moving through my hair easily. "I was starting to get worried."

I scoffed. "It's not like Dumbledore would murder me, Sirius." I turned to face him for a moment, trying to show him how preposterous that thought truly was. I turned back to the burning fire. "I had to make up for the lessons I missed earlier."

"What was it this time?" He asked, leaning forward again. "Magic, transformations?"

"Transformations." I answered quickly. "Transformations for three, bloody hours. But, it definitely _was_ worthwhile."

"How so?"

"You know how I've been aiming for a bear since last week? Well, I finally got it!" I yelped. My head ached, and I pulled myself back down to earth.

"Seems like it took a good toll on you." He chuckled as I raised a hand to my forehead. "You know what stops a headache in its tracks?"

I glanced over at him painfully. "What?"

A smirk played on his lips. "Butterbeer."

"So we're going to the kitchens?" I asked excitedly. Sirius seldom took me to the kitchens, saying it was a long and tedious journey. Of course, I knew that wasn't the real reason. The kitchens were on the same floor as the Slytherin common room. And we all know how Sirius feels about Slytherin.

"Indeed, my princess."

Being the Butterbeer fanatic I was, I had to jump and hug him with all my might. He hugged back, but eventually forced my body off of his.

"I was anticipating this, so I grabbed the Cloak." He said, snatching the silky cloth I knew well from the couch behind us. We stood, and he threw the Cloak over our heads. Sirius was too tall for that thing, and had to squat to keep his feet hidden. I tried to imagine Sirius, Peter and James all hiding under here. It was actually really funny.

Slowly and with much difficulty, we made our way out of the portrait hole. Being Marauders, we knew where all of the secret passageways were, and found the portrait of Elizabeth Burke. Behind this portrait was a passage to the Dungeons. From there, we quietly prowled in the direction of the portrait of the bowl of fruit. Sirius tickled the pear (I never understood the logic behind this) and the portrait swung open.

"In we go." Sirius whispered, gently pushing me forward and inside.

I gapped at the size of the room, as I'd only been in here a handful of times. It was huge with a vaulted ceiling and stone walls. Four long tables sat in the middle of the room, stretching the length of it. At the far end was a gigantic brick fireplace. Brass pots, pans and plates were stacked up in great mountains against the walls.

"Master Black!" My eyes flashed to one of the many house elves staring at us. "Master Black, how wonderful it is to see you!"

"Hello, Skippy." Sirius said, grabbing my hand. "This is Shane, I'm sure you've heard of her."

"Oh yes, Skippy hears all of the gossip! Skippy hopes that you are happy together." The little house elf's ears folded back and her (as I assumed) big, purple eyes jumped excitedly between us. "What can Skippy do for you tonight, sir?"

Sirius smirked. "Two Butterbeers, if you would." The house elf nodded and jumped away from us.

"What a strange little elf." I mumbled, watching and she skipped away. "She seemed to know you well. You must come down here without me often."

"Like I told you before, the journey is tedious." He spat, pulling me over to the end of the nearest table.

"You're just afraid we'll run into Slytherins." I mumbled as he pushed me onto a three-legged stool and left to find another in the piles of brass on either side of us.

"Indeed, that's another strong factor."

"You're no fun when you're grumpy."

"Then it's a wonder why I'm ever any fun when I'm around you."

"That hurt."

He smiled and set the stool he'd found beside mine. He sat down and laced his fingers with mine. "I'm sorry, love."

I sighed and looked him in the eye, a smile slowly finding its way onto my face. There was this look in his eyes that screamed happiness, and that made me happy. Then, I realized why he was happy.

Slowly, he leaned forward. I wasn't ready for him to kiss me. I'd faint if he kissed me. Plus, I wasn't in the mood to have to explain the entire thing to Lily. Her flurry of questions and accusations would turn my headache into a migraine.

"Butterbeer!" The back of my neck began to burn after I spun my head towards the tiny, squeaky voice. I wanted to hug Skippy so bad.

"Thank you, Skippy." I said, stretching my arm out and gently taking one of the glass mugs from her frail fingers.

"Yeah, thanks." Sirius said in a monotone voice. He took the other mug from her and she shuffled off.

"I like her." I mumbled. I raised the mug to my lips and felt the warm, butterscotch liquid inside flow smoothly down my aching throat. I began to look around the room, but not because the scenery was amazing (which it wasn't). Sirius was staring at me with a frown on his perfect face.

Sucking up my bravery, I took a quick glance at him. His eyes cut into me like a knife. I don't think I'd ever seen him so downcast. So, I decided to play it innocent.

"What?" I asked, wiping my mouth on my sleeve.

He was silent for several moments, just staring at me with those eyes of his. He opened his mouth to speak, but shut it before words could come out. "You know what, just forget it."

Stab! Another knife found its way into my heart. Was he _trying_ to hurt me?

I sighed shakily, and set my mug in my lap. "Tell me." I pushed, gently setting my hand on his forearm. I'd never touched him there, and the way his muscles tightened at my touch wasn't a good sign (even if it turned me on).

"It's nothing! In fact, the more I think about it the more I think it's stupid!" I glared at him, and he took this seriously. When I glared, he knew that I was (no pun intended) serious. "You're the first girl I've ever met that… doesn't want to kiss me…"

"Now who said I didn't want to kiss you?" I asked, taking a gulp from my mug.

"But, you so happily jumped away from me when Skippy-"

"Sirius, it's not that I don't want to kiss you, it's just that I don't want to kiss you right _now_." I explained, running my hand through my hair. "I have a headache, which Lily would turn into a migraine all too quickly. Plus, I'm not ready yet. I'd black out if you kissed me."

"So… you _do_ want to kiss me?" The look of disappointment on his face disappeared and was replaced by his signature smirk and a look of gleefulness in his eyes.

"Of course I do." I answered.

The new look that came to his handsome features scared me a little bit. His brow furrowed and a devilish look framed his mouth.

His face lunged at me, and I quickly raised my mug to my face. I took a large gulp from the glass and felt it lurch as Sirius' face connected with the bottom.

"Gah!" Sirius yelped, jerking away from me and grabbing a hold of his nose.

I gasped and set my mug aside, quickly raising my small, pale hands to his face. "Oh my God, Sirius!" I yelped, stroking his cheeks and hair. "Are you alright? Let me have a look-"

Suddenly, I felt myself being pulled from my stool and onto the floor behind me. In that moment, I felt one thing. My back connecting with the stone floor. In the next moment, the pain that had developed disappeared.

My eyes were wide as I felt Sirius' lips on mine. There weren't and never will be words that described anything I was feeling in that moment. The feeling of my heart beating rapidly against my ribcage. The feeling of his soft, supple lips connected with mine.

Somehow, the excitement and nervousness in my lungs disappeared and I closed my eyes, trying to enjoy the moment.

He pulled himself away from me and I suddenly felt incomplete, like he'd taken a part of me with him when he did.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" He asked, stroking my face gently. I kept my eyes closed, as if I was asleep. "Shane? You didn't really black out, did you?"

I kept quiet as he began to gently poke my shoulder. Then, my eyes flashed open and I yelled one word at him, "Boo!" Of course, he jumped away from me and hit his head on the table at my feet. "Gull-i-ble."

"That's not funny!" He shouted, rubbing the back of his head. I just smiled at him, which he soon returned. I crawled over and cradled myself in his lap, resting my aching head against his broad shoulder.

We just sat there, his arms wrapped around my small frame and my head on his shoulder. Sometime, I fell asleep. I didn't know when, but I know it was in his arms. I was in the arms of Sirius Black, the boy I didn't like upon our first meeting. When people say "love at first sight," they're all being big, fat, goddamn liars.

**A/N: This is the longest chapter I've ever written! Six pages of writing and almost 4000 words! WOOHOO!**

**Anyways, It's Thanksgiving today, so happy Thanksgiving everyone! I was planning on putting this chapter up on Valentine's Day, but the math just didn't work out. So, I'll post today instead. **

**I've got a total of 73 pages written, and several more to come soon, as I have a four day weekend. So, I'll be a lean, mean, writing machine. **

**Reviews would be nice…**

**R&R**


	15. Happy Bloody Birthday

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Marauders, Lily Evans, Dumbledore, or anything of that sort. All I own is Skippy, Shane and the plot. Oh, and I own Perky, too!**

**Sirius Black**

December 20th, 1977

I was sitting on my bed, tucking Shane's present into a small, black box I'd found. I'd been working on this present for weeks, and I was really hoping that she'd like it. Wait, I'm Sirius Black, of course she'll like it. Then again, Shane isn't my biggest fan. Well damn.

"I can't believe Shane's seventeen…" Moony piped dreamily from his position on his bed.

"Not yet!" I yelped, my eyes flashing from my present to Moony in barely three seconds. "She was born December twentieth, nineteen-fifty-nine at _nine twenty pm_."

"Alright, that's it," Prongs spoke up, scooting to the end of his bed and glaring at me. "You're obsessed, mate."

I smirked. "I can admit to that."

"Boys!"

I jumped ten feet in the air as Evans' voice vibrated through our dorm. We were up a flight of stairs and around a corner, how could her voice possibly reach us like that? Oh, wait, she had years of practice of yelling at Prongs.

"Be right down, Lily!" James yelled back. "Let's go, before she comes up here."

A round of nods went around our heads, and we were suddenly pushing to get through the door first. In my hand, I held the black box with Shane's gift inside. It quickly found its way into my pocket for safe keeping until it was time to get her alone.

Somehow, I ended up being the last one down the staircase. I don't see how that happened, seeing as I was Shane's boyfriend (not officially) and I should be able to see her first on her birthday.

"Happy birthday!" Prongs shouted as we finally pushed ourselves into the common room. I laughed when he lunged at the space beside Lily, the place Shane normally stood. However, all he wrapped his arms around was thin air.

"Cut that out James!" Lily yelled as her boyfriend hugged a poor fifth year girl who had been so unfortunate as to walk past at the exact moment he jumped to hug Shane.

"Sorry!" He yelped, removing his arms and jumping back to my side.

"Where's Shane?" I asked, shoving Prongs away as he tried to pull me in front of him for protection. "I wanted to wish her a happy goddamn birthday."

Lily frowned at my words. "Dumbledore called for her. You're too late if you wanted to be the first to yelled "happy birthday" in her face."

I cursed under my breath. "Go away, Prongs!" I yelled, wrenching his hands from my sleeve.

Lily rolled her eyes and pulled Prongs to her side, pulling him by his hand towards the Fat Lady's portrait. Moony and I followed obediently. We were dogs, after all.

* * *

_Where the hell is she…?_ I thought, staring at the ashes in the grate of the Gryffindor common room upside down.

Shane was still gone, and had missed breakfast. I still hadn't been able to wish her a happy seventeenth birthday, and I felt like a bad person. I was her boyfriend (still not official) and I hadn't seen her yet on her birthday.

"I'm bored, mate." Prongs complained from his normal armchair. "Let's go out to the grounds. We can have a snowball fight."

"No," I said, keeping my eyes locked on a single glowing ash sitting on the stone floor beside the grate. "I'm staying here until Shane gets back. But you guys can go ahead."

"Suit yourself, Padfoot." Moony spoke up, slamming his textbook shut and rising from his chair. Moony, Prongs and Evans all proceeded to leave the common room, pulling on coats and hats.

I sighed and thought about how abnormally quiet it was. There were always at least three other people in the common room with me, but now I was alone. As far as I knew, everyone else was either outside or in the library. I knew Alice and Mary were in the library, Sam had slept in, and everyone else was outside. I was truly alone for the first time that year.

I flipped myself and stood. It was too quiet in here, and I was tired. A nap was in order. So, I let my feet carry me up to the dormitory. Once there, I sat down on my bed and opened a drawer, which I'd filled with pictures of Shane and I. I reached in and pulled out a random photo.

As soon as I saw it I recognized the place and time immediately. We'd had Moony take it for us a few weeks ago on a trip to Hogsmeade. We'd snuck into the Shrieking Shack and I turned into my dog form. Then, Shane bent down and we took a picture.

I flipped the thick piece of paper over. On the back, in Shane's rolling handwriting, were four words. I couldn't help but laugh. It said "me and my dog" with a little smiley face in the corner.

I gently set the picture back in the drawer and pulled out another one.

This one was of all of us, the Marauders. I could even see Evans' bright red hair behind Prongs' shoulder. We were standing in the common room. Shane and I were in the middle, my arm around her shoulders and hers around mine. To my left was Prongs and Peter, and to my right was Moony, who had his hand on Shane's head.

Shane made faces over and over again, as we'd taken this picture with Moony's camera and not Shane's.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized what a catch Shane was. She was smart, beautiful and passionate, along with the fact that she was practically super-human. She was the _entire_ package, unlike all the other girls I'd dated. They were just _part_ of the package. That's why I'd dated so many.

I sighed and laid back, shutting the drawer loudly with my foot. Perhaps I could force myself to dream about her. It would be nice to dream about her, especially on her birthday.

* * *

Drowsily, I pulled my lids from my eyes and stared up at the red and gold canopy that was worn and tarnished from seven years of use.

I groaned and glanced at my watch. It read five-forty, and yes, that was in pm.

"Have a nice nap, Padfoot?"

"What the hell?" I yelped, jumping into the air and clinging to the drapes, which were sticky with the cream from the inside of several Pumpkin Pasties. My now awake eyes jumped to Moony, who was sitting on his bed with a book in his lap and amused look on his face. "When the hell did _you_ get here?"

He chuckled. "Not long ago, actually." He answered, closing his book and setting it aside.

"Oh, good, that means James is in the common room."

"As well as Shane!"

"That jerk's not telling her to have a happy birthday before I do!" I yelled, Moony's words sinking in faster than any of his words had ever before. I jerked myself from my bed and ran as fast as I could out the door. If Prongs dared to even mutter the words "happy birthday" to my girlfriend, he was toast.

"Oh, thank you James." I heard Shane say as I made my way into the common room, almost literally leaving a trail of fire behind me. She pushed something onto her head, and I saw it was some sort of navy cap with a strange, white symbol above the bill.

"Don't think on it," He said, patting her small shoulder. "Happy birthd-"

"Oh no you don't!" I yelled, jumping onto my friend and tackling him to the ground. "You will _not _tell Shane to have a happy bloody birthday before I do!"

"I get it!" He yelped, squirming out from beneath me and skittering to Evans, who was sitting at the Marauders' study table. "I get it, Padfoot! I understand!"

I glared at him, and then turned to Shane with a happy, joyous smile. "Happy birthday, love."

Her bell-like chimes of laughter rang through the air as she threw her head back. It was _so_ like Shane to laugh at a serious (no pun intended) statement or question.

"Thank you, Sirius." She said, gaining control of her laughter and standing up. She bent beside me and kissed my cheek (it had become a normal occurrence) before standing and waving at Prongs and Evans. "C'mon, it's time for dinner."

We all stood and followed her out of the common room. I found my place beside her and we began to amiably chat about her day. Apparently, Dumbledore had bought her a snow owl, which she animatedly named Perky. James had given her a "Yankees" cap, and she explained that the Yankees were a baseball team in the US. Then she described baseball. She told me that Lily had gotten her a book on advanced spells and Moony had given her the recipe for Peppermint Butterbeer.

I realized that I was the only one who hadn't given her a present yet. And I intended to give it to her, but I didn't want anyone to be around. I knew that, somehow, Prongs and Moony would find a way to use her present against me.

We all found our rightful places at the single table that was set up in the Great Hall. Shane assumed her natural position beside Dumbledore, and I sat beside her. Prongs found a seat to my left, and then Evans and Moony.

"Ms. Spencer…" A tiny, squeaky voice spoke from the opposite side of the table. My eyes flashed to the small, first-year Hufflepuff.

"Hello." Shane said, smiling brightly.

"Ms. Spencer, I'm a muggle-born and my mum and dad love your music. I told them that you were here, and they were wondering if I could get an autograph for them."

Shane's gentle smile was utterly selfless as she pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill. "Who should I make it out to?"

The little girls smiled. "Joshua and Morgan."

Shane nodded and began to scribble on the parchment, leaving her messy signature beneath a short statement. "There." She held the autograph out to the child, and began eating once it was out of her hand.

I began nibbling at a piece of chicken that was lazily hanging from my fork as I watched Shane eat. As always, her table manners were nonexistent. There were even a few times when she laughed and something flew out of her mouth.

After several minutes of eating, Shane burped and stood. "I'm full." She announced, looking down at me.

I sighed and stood with her. "Let's go." I said, taking her hand. "See you when you get back to the common room." Then, I began pulling her away from the Great Hall. I had no intention of going back to the common room, though. It was time to give her her present.

"Where are we going?" She asked as we took a wrong turn into the dungeons.

I smiled back at her, but kept walking. "The kitchens."

The look of confusion on her face made me chuckle. "But we just ate."

"Butterbeer, Shane."

"Yay!"

Suddenly, I found her throwing herself onto my back. As always, I caught her and enjoyed the heat she supplied. Not to mention the smells she issued. She always smelled like bubblegum, mildew and fresh bread, and I absolutely loved it.

I could feel my heart begin to beat rhythmically against my ribcage. This always happened when I touched her. I didn't understand it, and I wasn't quite sure I wanted to.

"Hey Sirius."

A smile broke onto my face as I heard her voice. As obedient as I was, I turned to face her. She had my full attention. I was hoping I wouldn't run into a wall.

"What is it?" I asked gently.

She smiled. "Will you tell me a story tonight?" Her eyes were sincere and hopeful, and I didn't really understand why she'd want me to tell her a story.

"A story?" I asked, tugging on her knees as to pull her up onto my back a little more. "Why?"

She set her chin on my shoulder and sighed. Her breath ticked my neck, and made it extremely hard to focus on the things in front of me. "Yeah, a story." She mumbled. "Like, one of the bedtime stories _you_ were told."

"You know I wasn't told bedtime stories."

"But if your parents _hadn't_ been pureblood-obsessive, those kind of stories." She pushed herself down, and I immediately missed the heat and smells. "Please?"

I stared at her as we ceased our movement. She looked the same as she had the night I asked her out. She stood tall and her words were as serious as serious could be. She truly wanted to hear a story.

I sighed, smile, and grabbed her hand, slowly beginning to move again. "Alright, I'll try."

She leaned over and pecked my cheek. "Thank you, Sirius." I grunted and pulled her closer so I could wrap my arm around her shoulders. As always, she didn't pull away.

Slowly, we made our way through the corridors of the dungeons, eventually finding the portrait of the bowl of fruit. Since she was curious about it, I let Shane tickle the pear, and we entered together. As always, it was Skippy who found us first. She wished Shane a happy birthday, and then ran off to get us our Butterbeer.

"Now that we're alone," I said, setting my stool down in its normal spot at the end of the table. "I have something for you." I began to dig through my pockets, and quickly found the small, black box.

"Sirius, you didn't have to get me anything." She said, trying to be modest. But, I knew that she was bouncing up and down on the inside.

"I did and you know it." I mumbled, fishing the box out and pushing it into her small, pale hands. "Now, open it up."

She flashed me her perfect, white smile, and opened the box with care. Her eyes shone as she saw what laid inside, and I knew that was a good sign. If she liked it, I was happy.

"Sirius…" She mumbled, pulling the small charm bracelet from its container.

I'd spent weeks on this bracelet, as I'd carved every single one of the beads out of maple. I'd taken the time to paint a few of them, too. There was a total of five, round charms and several smaller beads made of smoothed rock. On the charms were animals. A stag, a rat, and werewolf and a dog. The largest charm though was a pair of eyes. It was meant to mean Shane, as I couldn't think of anything more intriguing than her eyes.

"You like it?" I asked as I gently took it from her hands and wrapped it around her wrist. My answer was a soft kiss, and I absorbed every moment of it. Shane's lips were soft and warm. I loved her lips.

"Thank you, Sirius. This is my favorite birthday present." She wrapped her arms around my neck and mine instinctively wrapped around her waist. Her heat and scent swarmed me again, and I couldn't help but to enjoy it.

"It should be your birthday every day." I mumbled into her mass of brown hair. I felt her body shake slightly as she chuckled into my shoulder.

"You better come up with more present ideas if that's the case."

"Never mind."

We spent several hours in the kitchens, consuming large amounts of Butterbeer and cookies, as well as a small cake that Skippy had made for Shane. If I could have, I would've made every day her birthday. Because she deserved that and so much more.

**A/N: Well, Shane's seventeen. What did you think of my present ideas? I must say that I owe pretty much this entire chapter to Panda-chanLovesPanda-chan. Without her, Shane's birthday would've been dull and boring. **

**Speaking of birthdays, guess who turned thirteen early this morning! Yup, I'm officially a teenager now. Not only that, but I've been saving up, and I might get my own laptop soon. I can write all I want! Yes! **

**I'll be posting another chapter today, but after dinner. So, watch for it! And I really hope you enjoy it, because it's the mark in the story that leaves a scar behind. And Regulus becomes a main character! Anyways, look out for Chapter 16!**

**R&R  
**


	16. Hearts Are Made to Crumble

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Marauders, Lily Evans or Dumbledore. I simply own Shane, Morgan and the tragedy that is about to happen.**

**Sirius Black**

January 13th, 1978

What was going on? I didn't understand anything that was going on in my life. School didn't make sense, I was losing Prongs to the dark side (Evans) and, worst of all, I was confused when it came to Shane.

Of course, I knew that I felt strongly for her. What I didn't know was how long I could hold onto her. She was more than a date, but I didn't know if I could say those three words to her. Then there was the fact that my old habits would catch up to me sooner or later.

The other day, Shane had been with Dumbledore for an hour lesson. Being the bookworm she was, she encouraged me to work on my homework. I'd asked Prongs to come with me, but he was spending the day with _Evans_, and Moony was helping Professor Slughorn organize his personal stores.

So, there I was, minding my own business and working on finishing my Charms essay, when none other than Morgan Merrimac sits next to me. Morgan is a studious, flirtatious Ravenclaw that I hadn't dated yet. She was beautiful, and I would've gotten together with her sooner, but she'd had a boyfriend since second year.

We talked, and I stayed completely faithful to Shane. Alright, I flirted with her a little bit. But a few looks and such didn't count as cheating!

More or less, I felt as if I'd have to break it off with Shane sooner or later. Morgan wasn't going to wait forever. Then again, I almost thought I might've loved Shane. It would also make our friendship a little harder, and maybe even awkward at times.

Today, I couldn't help but to think about it. Even as Shane and I walked through the corridors hand in hand, my mind wandered to other places. I pictured myself with Morgan in a broom closet. It felt wrong, being with Shane and thinking about another girl.

"You alright?" She asked as we did our homework together in the common room.

The glaze over my eyes faded as I blinked and quickly looked at her. "Oh, yeah," I said, shaking my head in a lame attempt to get the thoughts out of my head. "I'm fine. Just got a bit on my mind."

She didn't seem convinced, but nodded and looked back to her parchment.

I watched as she wrote small, precise, emerald letters across her parchment. Her words molded together and formed sentence after sentence after sentence. The way her hair sprawled over the table when her face got too close, the way her eyes focused on her hand, everything was so careful with her.

"Hey, don't you have a lesson with Dumbledore tonight?" I asked, looking to the charm bracelet around her wrist. She never seemed to take it off.

"Oh," She yelped, flashing out of her chair and slamming all of her books shut. She cursed under her breath and gave me a peck on the cheek. "See you later." Then, I watched as the tail of her robed swept out of the common room.

I sighed and got up from my spot. I gathered her books and set them in a pile close to the wall, where they wouldn't be disturbed.

"I need a break…" I mumbled to myself.

I tucked my hands into my pockets and followed the path Shane had followed moments before. Again, my mind wandered.

I carefully paced out to the grounds, ignoring the several fifth years I passed that eyed me hopefully. Normally, I would've taken advantage of their flirtatious behavior. Then, I suddenly had the answer. I'd changed.

It was Shane. She'd somehow snuck up behind me and stolen something. She'd taken a part of my personality. It was her fault. She was the reason I wasn't myself anymore. But, was that a bad thing? Should I blame her, or thank her?

I groaned and shook my head. I needed a distraction.

"Hey, Sirius." Hello distraction.

"Hey, Morgan." I said, standing up straight and allowing a gentle smirk to grace my lips. "How are you on this fine evening?"

She smiled, her pink lips stretching back over her teeth. "Absolutely wonderful." She took a step closer and pictures of Shane flew through my mind.

_No…_ I thought. _I'm taking a break from Shane. She'll understand that, right?_

"Sirius?"

"Oh, sorry." I mumbled, shaking my head once more and smiling at her. "Anyways, what is it?"

She chuckled, hugging a book to her chest. Oops, can't think of her chest. "I was wondering if you'd like to go for a walk. Nothing too long, just a stroll near the lake."

My body ached to reply with a yes and walk off with her under my arm. But Prongs had made me swear that I wouldn't do to Shane what I had to two-thirds of the school. "I… don't think that's a good idea."

"Oh, c'mon!" She groaned, gently grabbing my hand. "Please?"

As I stared into her green eyes, something snapped. I didn't know what it was, but there was something in those eyes that made all of my thoughts disappear. Shane disappeared, my homework disappeared, the thought of Prongs killing me disappeared, everything just disappeared.

"Alright."

* * *

"You're kidding!" I laughed as I sat with Morgan near the lake. We'd found a log with a very small amount of snow on it, and decided to sit down for a while.

"No, my parents seriously freaked out." She laughed with me.

I took a deep breath and looked at her, our eyes connecting. My stomach churned. There was something about her. I didn't understand it.

Slowly, I felt myself leaning towards her, and she leaned towards me.

"No." I mumbled, standing up and taking a few steps back. "I'm sorry, I can't do this right now. Some other time." I ignored her calls as I quickly left the side of the lake and paced towards the castle.

As my feet sank slightly into the thin layer of snow, my head began to spin and my hands began to shake. I'd just been looking for a good time, but Shane got in the way _again_.

"Damn it…" I mumbled, running my hand through my long hair. I needed to have it cut again.

I entered the castle, my mind racing with thoughts about _relationships_ and _feelings_ and other mushy stuff girls loved. I couldn't stand it. Maybe it just wouldn't work out with Shane. Maybe it was smarter to just let her go.

But, I couldn't do that. I loved her. No, I didn't. Yes, I loved Shane to pieces. No, she was just another girl. Shane is more than just a girl. Yes, she's a _flat-chested_ girl. No, she's much more than that. I didn't love her. Yes I did. No I didn't. Yes I did. No I didn't! I don't _love_ girls. I never had and I never will.

I sighed and smacked myself. This little battle inside me was going no where. I just had to think about it.

Alright, I'd become friends with her before asking her out. That's one for love. Then there was the fact that I'd actually been _nervous_ when I asked her. That's two. Last, I'd stopped myself from a make-out-session with Morgan Merrimac for her. That's three for love.

Well shit.

I loved her, I needed to face it. She was my life. So, I had to do what I thought was best for her. If I stayed with her, I'd most likely end up cheating on her and breaking her heart. If I broke up with her, I'd break her heart as well. There was no way out. I had to save her. At least she had some hope if I just gave her a clean break.

My heart ached at the thought of giving her up. It would be torture, seeing her everyday and knowing that she wasn't mine anymore. Maybe I'd just have to stay as far away from her as possible. I'd tell her that we couldn't be friends anymore. It would probably just help her even more.

Slowly, I climbed the Grand Staircase. Every step made my breathing more uneven. Every thought made my heart beat out of control. Every blink made my eyes wetter. I loved her. It wasn't a question anymore. It was a proven fact.

I reached the seventh floor and began to make my way to the common room. That was when everything fell apart.

"Sirius, wait up!" I knew that voice anywhere. So, I sucked it all up and shoved my hands in my pockets. A clean break meant making her get over me. She couldn't know that I loved her.

Ever.

"Y'know, Dumbledore's got me doing some more advanced stuff now. I think you'll be impressed when I finally get the chance to show you." Shane said as she slowed near my side and we began to walk together.

I nodded and took a deep breath. "Listen, I need to talk to you."

I could tell that it was my tone that piqued her interest. She furrowed her brow. "Well then, let's talk." She mumbled, stopping. "You seem upset."

"Um, sure." I said, setting my sad and masochistic plan into action. "I don't think this is going to work out."

She seemed confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I don't think we should see each other anymore." I said, staring her straight in the face. It was the hardest thing I'd ever had to do.

"Oh, well," She said, clearing her throat and rubbing the back of her perfect, soft neck. "I… understand. I get it, really." I nodded. "We'll just go back to the way things used to be."

My heart snapped in two. "No…" I said, swallowing down all of my pain. This was for her. "I don't think we should see each other _at all_."

I could almost hear her heart crumbling down. And, in turn, my heart crumbled. "Oh…"

"Sorry." Then, I walked away. My feet didn't want to move. I wanted to stop, turn around and tell her I was kidding. I wanted to tell her that I loved her. But, that would ruin everything. It would ruin her.

The minute I made my way through the portrait hole, I ran for the cover of the dormitory. It was still fairly early, and the only person that would possibly be up there was Moony.

Lucky me, no one was jumping the gun on bedtime. I had the room to myself, and I could finally let myself breakdown.

I laid down on my bed, curling up in a ball as my eyes swelled with tears. I choked out a few sobs and felt my tears flow into my eyes, as I was laying on my side. I felt broken. Shane may have taken something from me, but I wasn't anything without her.

My breath came out in gasps as I felt my heart being torn down the middle. One half flew through my chest and found its way into Shane's arms. The other half crumpled and began to beat dully, as if it was dead, but not entirely.

I was dead. Well, not literally, but I felt as if I were. My heart felt nonexistent, but I'd have to pull through. Even if I wasn't trying to get through this for me, I'd have to do it for Shane.

I love you, Shane Spencer.

**A/N: I know it's short, but it's a main point in the story and I tend to speed along during overly important chapters. I have yet to break this habit.**

**Anyways, I had a spectacular birthday. My parents finally got me Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, so I have plenty of new material for the sequel. I also got Sherlock Holmes, starring Robert Downey Junior, and the 2010 version of Alice in Wonderland. PLUS EIGHTY DOLLARS! **

**This is just the beginning of my screwed up and terrible plot. I currently have 23 chapters complete and a 24th is on its way. Don't worry, I'll be in the delivery room sooner than you know it. Ha ha, figuratively speaking. **

**How do you think Sirius is going to handle this traumatic break up? How will Shane? What's going to happen to the Marauders? WHO WILL DIE? Nah, just kidding. But, seriously, someone's going to want to die. Hint, hint. **

**Hope you enjoyed all of the sappy, overwritten drama.**

**R&R  
**


	17. Black Pain and Black Drug

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything such as the Marauders and Hogwarts. I don't own Regulus or any of his friends. All I own is Shane and her despair. **

**Shane Spencer**

January 14th, 1978

I was a toy. A broken, useless toy. That's all I'd ever been to him. A toy. I was just like all those other girls he'd been with. A toy. A toy! A goddamn toy!

As of yesterday, I was single. My heart lurched when he said it. I probably shouldn't have, but I cried all night long. I felt differently about him. I almost thought I loved him, and he dumps me. I didn't understand it, but I had to learn to accept it.

My heart felt like a solid weight in my chest, weighing me down and destroying all that I was. I felt myself changing. Everything I did, and everything I thought was accompanied by pain. It almost hurt to breathe.

I watched from the clock tower, my eyes focused sadly on the familiar black hair and grey eyes of Sirius Black. My hair was greasy, and the bags under my eyes were prominent, all results of his feelings.

He seemed happy though. Wrapped in his arms was Morgan Merrimac. She looked happy too. I was jealous of her. Yet, I pitied her. She'd just end up like me.

"I thought you'd be going with him." I blinked slowly, and then looked back over my shoulder. Standing firmly behind me, his hands in his pockets, was Regulus Black.

I shook my head back and forth, and then looked back at _him_. "I guess you haven't heard…"

"No, I heard." He said, pacing to my side and watching his brother as well. "I just assumed that you'd still be the best of friends. You seemed inseparable a month ago."

"That's what I thought, too…"

"Hey," I felt a large, warm hand on my shoulder. It was comforting. "Cheer up. If I were you, I'd use this to get to know other people."

"You don't understand-"

"He gave up on me too, remember."

I stared at him. He was right. Sirius had given up on his own brother, so it makes sense that he would give up on me. He just wasn't one for commitment.

"When you're ready to get over him, come find me." I got one last glimpse of his grey eyes, and then he was gone. I had a choice to make. It was one or the other. I had to choose between Blacks.

* * *

I felt as if a knife had been run through my heart. You think he'd at least have the decency to stay away from me while he was with _Morgan_. But no, he had to snog her during class. He had to rub my face in all of it. What makes it all worse is the fact that the Marauders thought they could be friends with both of us.

So, as soon as the bell rang, I was out the door. I had to find Regulus. Right now, he was the only person I could trust. The only person that would sympathize with me. And I knew exactly where he'd be.

Quickly, I made my way through the maze of the Grand Staircase and into the Entrance Hall. From there, I followed the corridor that led to the Great Hall. As I expected, he was sitting at the Slytherin table with a bunch of other people. Snape, Bellatrix Black, Evan Rosier, Wilkes, Avery and Mulciber. All the Death Eater wannabes.

I stalked over and kicked his shin, making him jump about ten feet in the air. But, he calmed down as he saw my emotionless face.

"Changed your mind, did you?" He asked, a smirk appearing on his face. He looked so much like Sirius.

I just stared at him, knowing he'd get what I was saying.

"Good." He stood and grabbed my hand. "See you later." He mumbled to Bellatrix, who'd been sitting beside him. Then, he pulled me out of the Great Hall. Unfortunately, we bumped into Sirius and Morgan on their way to an early dinner.

"Sorry." Sirius laughed in his deep voice, a smile on his handsome face. I just stared at him, waiting for him to realize it was me, the girl he'd just dumped. "Didn't see you there." He glanced at the hands holding Regulus and I together, and then pulled Morgan into the Great Hall. He didn't give a damn.

"C'mon." The younger Black said as he pulled me closer, and then out of the corridor. I could feel the tears spilling over the edges of my eyes, and gently falling to my robes. Regulus seemed to notice as well.

We made our way outside, with no words being exchanged. I couldn't help but to think about the warmth of his hand. It wasn't unlike Sirius. In fact, he was more like Sirius than I'd ever thought. The way he walked, talked, ate, played, focused, it was all the same.

That was when I realized something. Regulus was the better version of my once-upon-a-time best friend. He was smarter, stronger, kinder, at least to me. He was the perfect replacement for the elder Black. Regulus was the drug, and Sirius was the sickness. Regulus would make me better.

"Alright, sit down."

I snapped out of my little thought bubble and took in my surroundings. We were near the lake, but guarded by a line of pine trees. The snow here was fresh, and I didn't think anyone had been here in a while.

"Alright, the best way to get 'im out of your head is to take the pain you feel now and to turn it into anger." He mumbled, tapping his finger against his temple.

"Why anger?" I asked. My voice felt foreign, as I hadn't spoken all day.

"Just trust me. Anger blinds you from everything else." He said as he sat down across from me. He picked up a small amount of snow and packed it together. "Now, think of something he did that made you angry."

I nodded and began to think. The answer was right in front of me, yet I looked through every possibility before going with it. The fact that he had the guts to kiss Morgan in front of me. That was enough to make me scowl and grind my teeth.

"After you've done that," He went on. "Just stay away from him. And, if you do bump into each other, treat him as coldly as you possibly can. The slimy git deserves it."

I nodded. "Thanks, Regulus."

He smiled and raised his large hand to my head. He messed up my hair, sending it this way and that. "No problem." He said, flashing his teeth in a very boyish way. "And you need to wash your hair."

I chuckled, a small smile appearing on my lips. Ah, my antidote was beginning to make me feel better.

* * *

My hair was tucked into a pony as I bent over my cauldron. Snape was behind me, watching carefully as I added ingredients to our potion.

As of the last week, I'd been welcomed into Regulus' little club. Although Snape hadn't taken to me as the others had, I was brought in with open arms. Like a stray puppy that a young girl had found on a street. Bella (as she'd told me to call her) was ecstatic that there was another female in the group.

Rumors had begun to spread around the school and Regulus and I were sexually linked, but they were just rumors. Regulus was a friend, and one who was healing me quickly and effectively. Bella believed us, but it took some time to get the others in on it. Snape, however, thought differently.

"You're adding too much Shredded Unicorn Horn!" He yelped, snatching the measuring tools from my pale, small hands.

"Would you _shut up_?" I asked, fiercely looking back at him. My eyes burned with anger, and he knew to back off before my newly found temper made an appearance.

"Of course…" He mumbled, shoving the measuring tools back into my hand.

Then, there was an explosion. Purple fumes filled the potions classroom, and Professor Slughorn quickly used a spell to get rid of it. It wasn't hard to discover the source of the explosion, as only two individuals were covered from head to toe in purple.

"Nice going, Padfoot!" Potter yelled, scratching at his purple arms.

"It's not my fault!" Black yelled back, staring at his arms and feeling his face, a look of horror plastered there.

"Nitwits." Snape sniggered behind me, a disgusting smirk on his face.

I let out a bark of laughter (I couldn't get rid of it) and stared at Black with a satisfied smirk. "You can say that again."

The bell rang, and I began to pack up my things. Snape left far before I'd even started to pack up, so I was left alone.

"Be more careful next time, Mr. Black." Slughorn said as he tapped Black's head with his wand. The purple faded from his skin, and he smiled.

"Of course, thank you, Professor."

I ruffled my nose and quickly made my way out of the classroom. I was headed towards the Slytherin common room. Regulus and I met up there every day after classes. Of course, I'd barely made it out the door when I realized I'd left my wand behind.

"Damn it." I muttered under my breath. I spun on my heel and walked back into the classroom. Accidentally, I bumped Black on his way out. "Out of the way." I said. I had to be cold, just as Regulus had told me to be.

"Ah, Ms. Spencer!" Slughorn said in his happy, joyous voice. It was sickening. "What can I do for you, my dear?"

"Just forgot my wand, Professor." I said kindly, smiling at him. I snatched my wand from my table and nodded to the Professor before getting out of that room as quickly as I could.

I tucked my wand into my back pocket as I walked. The dungeons were small, and I could easily find my way through it. But, because the dungeons were so small, I was apt to run into people I didn't want to run into. This was today's case.

"I bought you some shampoo, Snivellus!"

I groaned. Every day Snape was harassed and every day one of us had to do something about it.

I turned the corner to find Snape sitting on the ground, Potter with his wand pointed directly at Snape's large nose. Black was there, too. But he just stood there.

Potter went to cast his jinx, and I flashed my wand out. "_Protego_!" A nearly invisible green shield found its place between the three boys. "You're a poor excuse for a duelist." I snapped at Snape as I strode over and forcefully helped him find his feet.

"Oi!" Potter yelled as I began to push the poor-excuse away from the scene. "I don't think this concerns you!"

Ah, so I _was_ being treated as a Slytherin. "I'd say this would be a wonderful time to leave, Potter." I sneered, continuing with my shoving.

"_Expelliarmus_!"

I pushed Snape to the ground and flashed my wand at the spell in front of me. Potter may have been quick, but I was quicker.

"_Petrificus Totalus_!" Potter suddenly found his limbs being held together. He fell to the ground and I glared at Black. He was staring at me, a look on his face that I'd never seen before.

I waited and waited for him to hex me or something, but nothing ever came. He didn't even pull his wand out. He was helpless.

So, I pulled Snape off the ground and back to his feet. "Move." I ordered, and he did as he was told. Snape always did as he was told.

In barely any time at all, we made our way to the Slytherin common room. We found the wall, and I muttered the password, which was pureblood. I pushed Snape through, and quickly followed. As always, Regulus was sitting in one of the large, green armchairs. On the arm of the chair was Bella. Then, on the black leather couch was Wilkes, Avery and Mulciber.

"Where've you been?" He asked, looking away from his cousin and to me. "You're twenty minutes late."

I sighed and tossed myself into the armchair across from Regulus', _my_ armchair. "Had a run-in with Black and Potter." I mumbled as I kicked my feet up on the table in front of me. "Bloody git didn't even fight back."

"How'd you react?"

"Don't worry, I'm completely over him." I said. Deep down though, I knew it was a lie. You know how I knew? It still hurt when I saw him, I had nightmares about him, and I constantly thought about how worthless I was unless he noticed me.

"Good." He smiled and leaned forward in his chair. "Now, let's go to dinner. I'm hungry."

* * *

The sun was shining. All of the snow that had been on the ground the day before had melted, and now sat in small puddles on the grass. Behind me, the Whomping Willow fluttered in the slight breeze. Everything was so calm and quiet. It brought me back.

"Shane…"

My heart leapt into my throat as _his_ voice whispered my name for the first time in a week. Naturally, my angry façade failed to hold up as I turned to look at him.

My breath hitched in my throat as I saw the strong, cloth-covered chest of Sirius Black right in front of me. I felt one of his warm hands grab my arm gently and pull me closer. The other slowly raised itself to my face and caressed my cheek.

"I've missed you…"

Now, I could feel his warm breath on my face. His beautiful, soft eyes bore into mine and his nose gently swept mine.

"I missed you, too…" I whispered back, trying to keep my voice even.

He smiled at me, and then pressed his lips softly against mine. It was sweet and pure, as our first was. He didn't seem at all like the Sirius I knew. The Sirius I knew wasn't one for romantics. Yet, here he was, carefully kissing me in the midday sun.

I closed my eyes and enjoyed the feeling I'd missed so much. However, the feeling of his soft lips on mine faded, along with the warmth of his hands and body. It was like he disappeared.

As I opened my eyes slowly, I realized why.

Above me was the plain, grey canopy that sat over my bed. That was when I knew I was dreaming. About Black. Again.

"Damn it!" I yelled as I sat up, grabbed my pillow and flung it across the room. I pushed my feet off my bed and set them on the floor, as to sit up straight. I set my head in my hands and groaned.

Recently, I'd moved out of the Gryffindor Girls' dormitory and back into my old room. It was more private here, and I could have little hissy-fits without Evans leaning over me. Plus, I didn't think I could be friends with her anymore.

I sighed and stood up. I walked over to my bookshelf and grabbed something random. Now a days, I was reading to keep my mind off of _him_. As I pulled it down, I found myself staring at the charm bracelet he'd given me for my birthday. For some reason, I couldn't bring myself to take it off. Instead, I wore it like an omen.

I hated it.

**A/N: Well, what'd you think? Not to shabby, eh? Anyways, I've been really stressed lately, which is why I haven't been writing. Damn school. Other than that, my life sucks. My best friend is moving tomorrow, but I'll be able to see him every other weekend. In fact, I think I'm getting a little depressed. **

**But, I've been reading a lot lately. Sherlock Holmes, Tony Stark, they all lead to one person... Robert Downey Jr. I love you RDJ! Of course, I've been reading a variety of Harry Potter stories too. Sirius, Fred, and really just those two. I've been working hard to try and fit everything together when it comes to the sequel. I still haven't really figured out a plot, so that's going to be my main focus. Other than that, everything's going smoothly. **

**R&R**

**Please...?  
**


	18. The Black Owl with Golden Eyes

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Marauders, Hogwarts, or anything of a magical nature. Y'know, let's just say all I own is Shane and the plot. Nothing else is mine.**

**Sirius Black**

January 21st, 1978

I was staring at her. I knew it was a bad combination, staring at a beautiful girl and mixing a potion at the same time. But, I needed to see her as much as I could. She didn't stop by anymore. She'd moved out of the Gryffindor dormitory, and she didn't speak to any of the Marauders or anyone that was related to them in any way. Well, other than Reg.

I missed her more than I thought I would. I'd been trying to keep myself distracted, but it wasn't as easy as it seemed. I'd asked Morgan out, and she served as a _wonderful_ distraction when I could see her. But, she wasn't in most of my classes.

The one class she _was_ in, however, Shane was in also. Hell, Shane was in all of my classes. She'd followed the Marauders around at the beginning of the year, and I was guessing Dumbledore refused to change her schedule around.

Suddenly, there was an explosion.

I felt warm, sticky goo fly from my cauldron and splatter into my face. There was a rancid smell hanging in the air now. I wanted it to smell like mildew, bubblegum and fresh bread. Like Shane.

"Nice going, Padfoot!" Prongs yelled at me as the purple fumes around us were wafted away. He began scratching at his now purple arms, and I looked down at mine to make sure they didn't look like _that_.

"It's not my fault!" I yelped as I felt at my face, which was covered in goo and was most likely purple as well.

I glanced at Shane, who'd been working with Snivellus. She was smirking evilly at me, and I knew that I deserved it. But, as soon as I'd looked at her, I turned away. I couldn't risk her seeing me.

The bell rang, and I packed up my things as Professor Slughorn waddled over to us. "Be more careful next time, Mr. Black." He chortled, pulling his wand from the folds of his robes and tapping the top of my head.

I felt a sudden cooling sensation, and nodded. "Of course. Thank you, Professor." I heard an obnoxious sound come from Shane, who was one of the few still in the classroom.

He nodded and walked towards his desk in the front of the classroom. I began to pack up the rest of my things as Shane finished and walked out the door. I sighed, shoved my textbook into my bag, and slug the strap over my shoulder.

I made my way out of the classroom, bumping into a small figure on accident. I didn't have to see the face to know the person.

"Out of the way." She mumbled coldly, shoving past me and back into the classroom. I watched her as she walked inside. I wanted to run up and hug her and tell her I was sorry, but I had to stay strong.

Soon, I pushed myself forward and continued towards the staircase that led to the Entrance Hall. I never made it, though. All because Prongs decided to mess with Snivellus.

Naturally, I had to stay behind and help. I didn't do much, though. I wasn't in the mood to have a row with anyone at the moment. Instead, I let Prongs have his fun with my wand at my side in case something went wrong.

"_Protego_!"

My eyes flashed to my left, where Shane stood with her wand held out. A thin, barely visible shield flew between James and I and Snivellus.

"You're a poor excuse for a duelist…" She mumbled, forcing Snivelly to his feet. She began to shove him away, but I didn't mind. Prongs was a different story.

"Oi!" He yelled, waving his wand about. "I don't think this concerns you!"

Shane just continued moving forward. "I'd say this would be a wonderful time to leave, Potter." She sneered, glancing back over her shoulder at him.

"_Expelliarmus_!" Prongs yelled, waving his wand in Shane's direction. It was a good attempt, but Shane was far above him on the duelist scale.

Shane had pushed Snivellus to the ground and had her wand out before the spell had even found its way from Prongs' wand. She swiftly side-stepped and the spell disappeared when it hit the brick wall behind her.

"_Petrificus Totalus_!" The spell flew from her wand and hit Prongs hard in the chest. His limbs bound themselves together, and he fell to the floor. Then, she looked to me expectantly. I just stared back. I tried to keep all emotions from my face. It was the safest way to go at the moment.

Soon enough, she figured I was no threat and pulled Snape to his feet again. Then they proceeded towards the Slytherin common room.

I sighed and pulled out my wand. I tapped Prongs' head, and his limbs flew apart.

"What the hell was that?" He yelled, standing up and grabbing my shoulders. "She bound me, and what did you do? Nothing!"

"Shut up and let's go. I don't want to miss dinner again." I mumbled, hiking up my bag and turning away from him. I knew he'd give me a good yelling later, but I couldn't stand to hear him talk now.

* * *

It was late, but I didn't care. This was the only time that I could look through my pictures without anyone bugging me. In the many windows in the dormitory, the pale light of the moon was shining through. The moon was almost full. I wondered how that would turn out.

In a neat stack near my feet, the pictures of Shane, me, and the Marauders waited for me to look through all of them.

I sighed and pushed my back against the cold stone of the border around the window nearest my bed. Slowly, I grabbed another photo from the pile. It was the photo we'd taken in the Shrieking Shack.

"If you miss her so much, why don't you just tell her you were wrong?"

My heart leapt and my eyes flashed from the picture to the place the voice had come from. I calmed down when I recognized Moony's calm, collected face.

I sighed. "It's not that simple." I whispered, looking back down at the picture.

"No," He snapped quietly, making sure not to wake James. "You're _keeping_ it from being that simple." He walked over and grabbed a handful of pictures from my pile. "You can be so difficult sometimes."

I ignored him and stared down at the picture in my hands. She looked so happy. That's what I wanted to see now. I wanted to see that smile I knew so well again. I wanted her eyes to shine like they had that afternoon. But, I had to stay away. She'd be safer that way.

"Go to bed." I mumbled, quickly putting every picture away. Quietly, I slid into my bed, the picture of Shane and I in my hand. Instead of putting it away, I decided to keep it beneath my pillow for the night. Perhaps, if I did that, I'd be able to dream about her.

* * *

My padded, fur-clad paws pounded on the ground as I chased after Moony. Far above me, hidden in the canopy of needles, was Shane. She'd figured out how to transform into an owl. Inside and without letting it slip onto the outside, I was jumping for joy for her.

Tonight was the first night of the full moon, and the first night of pure torture for me. Seeing her made it all the harder to sever my ties with her. Not only that, but seeing her scowling at me voluntarily made my heart snap. This was like a suicide mission. Lucky for me, the end of the night was coming.

I watched as a pitch black owl dropped down from the sky. In an instant, the owl was gone and replaced by a large, brown bear. It ran faster than I did, and easily passed me. She _really_ hated me.

Somehow, she found her way onto Moony's back. If she didn't get off of him soon enough, she'd crush him. My fear only piqued as I saw the sun rising through the trees.

At the last second, I saw Shane's familiar face, hair and eyes appearing in the mound of brown fur. The paws shrunk and fingers sprouted from what used to be claws, and all of the bear fat faded from her body, leaving her as her normal, skinny self.

"Settle down, Remus!" She yelled at the top of her lungs, staring into the werewolf's eyes. Slowly, Moony calmed down. His dog-like limbs stopped moving. I watched as his long tongue began to lap at her face and, for the first time in a long while, I saw her smile. All of the torture was worth seeing that smile on her face.

She removed herself from his person, and the sun peeked over the side of the earth, staring at us through the trees. Slowly, Moony's face pushed itself closer and closer to the back of his head, thinning him out and turning him back into the man that we all knew.

The smile was wiped away from Shane's face, and she moodily helped Moony off the ground. That smile might not have lasted very long, but it proved to me that the real Shane was still in there somewhere.

"Let's get you to the hospital wing." She told him, hiking his arm around her shoulders. "You can go."

"Don't you need help with him?" I blurted.

She sneered at me. "I'm perfectly capable of carrying him by myself." Slowly, she began to tug him away. I didn't dare to follow her, and James could care less. So, we just watched as she carried our best mate out of the forest.

Once she was out of site, I made a spur of the moment decision. "Prongs, give me the cloak." I said as I rushed over to him.

"Why?"

Quickly and easily, I came up with a lie. "I just wanna make sure she doesn't do anything to him. Now hurry up!"

Quickly, he scrambled to pull the folded cloak from his back pocket and handed it to me. I knew Shane moved quickly, even with someone hanging on her shoulder, so I ran as I pulled the cloak over my head. However, I cursed when I got too close to them and tripped on a root that had a deep groove beneath it.

I covered my mouth and watched as Shane stared directly at me. My eyes bore into hers, but she still couldn't see it, and I tried to show everything. I wanted her to see through the cloak somehow, and to see my face. I wanted to tell her I loved her, but I kept my mouth shut.

Eventually, she snapped her head away from me and continued to tug Remus out of the forest. I would've gotten back up and followed her again, but I couldn't. Physically, I was capable. Emotionally, I was not.

I sighed, and pulled the cloak from my head. I tossed it aside and sat up. That was when I realized that I _wasn't_ physically capable of standing up. The bone that connected my foot to my leg groaned and screamed in agony as I used the tree beside me to stand up.

"Oi, Prongs!" I yelped, gently feeling my foot. I could tell that the bones were beginning to swell. This was the second time that I'd hurt myself over my feelings for her. I'd never done that for anyone before.

"What the bloody hell'd you do?" Prongs asked as he ran over to me.

I shot him a glare. "Just help me back up to the school. I'll talk to Pomfrey about it later."

"Are you sure?" He asked as he weaved my arm around his shoulders. "I mean, if you sprained you ankle you'd want to see her as soon as possible."

I was silent as he began to help me out of the forest. I didn't know if I wanted to risk her glaring at me again, and I was extremely tired. Yet, I wanted to see her one more time before I went to bed.

"Alright, a quick stop and then we go back to the common room."

Prongs nodded, seeming to be satisfied. We continued towards the school in silence. For the ten minutes of walking it took to get from the forest and into the castle, I couldn't stop thinking about her. The way she used to look at me compared to how she looked at me now. There was such a difference.

_I guess this _is_ what I wanted…_ I thought, closing my eyes. I'd wanted her to have a clean break, and that's what I gave her. She deserved better than what I could give her.

"You alright, Padfoot?"

My eyes opened and I looked to Prongs. His eyes were shinning with concern. I'd only seen him like this a handful of times, and it had never been because of me.

"I'm fine." I mumbled. Of course, it didn't convince him. Nothing convinced James when he got serious.

"Alright." I knew he'd bug me more about it later, but I didn't really care at the moment. I was solely focused on Shane.

Slowly, we made our way into the Hospital Wing.

"My, how many am I going to have tonight?" Madame Pomfrey asked as we hobbled inside.

I smiled politely, avoiding eye contact with Shane, who was sitting on the bed nearest Moony. "Only two, Madame Pomfrey." I answered.

I carefully glanced at her to get a closer look at what she was doing. In her lap was one of Madame Pomfrey's many medical journals. I bet she'd read through all of them by now. After all, she did stay with Moony all day after his transformations.

"Now, Mr. Black," Pomfrey said as she walked over to me and helped me onto one of the beds. "What've you done to yourself now?"

"Just sprained my ankle when I tripped on something in the dormitory."

She nodded and got to work on my foot. As she did so, my eyes carefully wandered to Shane again. They trailed over her hair, her face, her hands, her legs, everything there was to admire. So, I looked at her entirely.

As my eyes wandered, so did my mind. I started to think about her new attitude. It couldn't be good. I mean, she hung out with my _brother_. Only Slytherins hung out with my brother. He was a rich pureblood boy, Slytherins loved him. But Shane didn't. She never had. Had she?

And that was when my hatred for Regulus swelled and broke onto my face. I didn't want him near her, but how would she react if I told him to stay away from her? She'd know that I still loved her if I did that.

I sighed. This was far more difficult than I thought it'd be.

**A/N: Well, what'd you think? Was it good? I really hope it was. I've been really busy lately, so I've been slacking off a little bit. **

**In other news, don't expect poetry from me any time soon. I CAN'T RHYME. I know, I'm an author and it should be in my blood. But, as far as I know, everyone who sucks at writing is a good poet and anyone who sucks at poetry is an amazing author. **

**Now, on the subject of Shane and Sirius. I've had a lot of wonderful developments in the past few weeks. And, believe it or not, I still have about five more chapters to write. ONLY FIVE! Well, maybe six or seven, but not many either way. I must admit, it's going to be weird, being done with this story. Maybe then I'll be able to work on my original works. **

**Hoping to hear from more than just two of you…**

**R&R **


	19. The Last Broken Arm?

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except for Shane and the plot. Thank you.**

**Shane Spencer**

May 13th, 1978

I was bundled tightly in my coat with my hat pulled down far as to cover my ears. It was amazing how cold it was for early May. I was red in the face, but that could've been from either the cold or the argument I'd had with Dumbledore ten minutes before.

Yes, I'd gotten in an argument with Dumbledore. It was just one battle in a long war, though. We'd fought with each other several times in the past few weeks. I'll admit, they were always my fault. He never started it, but he always ended it. His anger never seemed to last. I guess that's the single reason I couldn't get my tempter to stretch more than a few hours.

Today was Quidditch, and I didn't know what it would feel like to stand in the Slytherin crowd, cheering on Regulus instead of _him_.

In fact, it would be hard to cheer for the Black I hadn't been routing for all year long.

"You alright?"

My eyes flashed to Bella, who was walking silently with me to the Quidditch Pitch.

I nodded quickly, and looked to the Pitch. As always the flags with the House colors flew high in the air, above the stands. "How do you think Slytherin's going to do?"

"How else would Slytherin do?" She asked, a smile on her beautiful face.

I smiled as well.

"Bloody wonderful." We said in unison. It was strange, how synced we were. She always knew what I was going to say, and vice versa. It was like we had some sort of link between our brains. I'd been able to do this sort of thing with Lily too.

Stab.

Lily'd always know what I was thinking and when. She was like my sister from another mister.

Stab.

I loved her almost as much as I loved Sirius.

STAB!

I stopped walking and the smile was wiped from my face as I heard my heart rip itself into little pieces. My eyes widened, and I felt my breathing cease. I didn't just think that, did I? No, I couldn't have. I'd worked so hard to get away from that.

"You're sure you're alright?" Bella asked, setting her petite hand on my shoulder. Her eyes bore into mine as I guiltily stared back.

I shook myself. "Yeah, I'm fine," I started. "My mind's just wandering a little bit today." To make it seem authentic, I smiled. "Let's go, I don't want to miss the beginning of the game."

She nodded and we trudged along again. Quickly, we followed the winding path down to the Pitch. I'd always walked this path with Lupin and Pettigrew. It felt weird to be walking with Bella instead. However, that feeling ended as we entered the large, oval shaped arena.

I heard Montez yell something through his microphone (which was powered by magic) and Bella and I raced to our seats near Severus and the others.

"The Quaffle's up and the game's begun!" Montez yelled over the crowd. I leaned forward in my seat and watched as robes of green and silver raced past me, along with a few red and gold. The Quaffle flew from one Slytherin Chaser's hands to another, and then made an attempt to soar through one of the hoops. However, Motts, the Gryffindor Keeper, easily caught the streak of red.

"C'mon Reg…" I whispered to myself as I stared at Regulus. He was glancing around, looking for that glint of gold that meant the Golden Snitch. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon…"

As all of the excitement unfolded, I watched Regulus. I didn't care if Wilkes, Avery or Mulciber got us a few points, my attention was solely on him. It all paid off as he saw something and rode off after it. Winters hadn't even seen the Snitch. I knew Regulus was good enough to catch it before Winters did.

"C'mon, Reg!" I yelled at the top of my lungs as I stood up. I realized that he probably hadn't heard me, but it was worth a shot.

Next thing I knew, Regulus was holding his hand in the air, the Snitch gleaming inside of it. I cheered as loud as I could, hugged Bella, and watched as he quickly rode over to us. He jumped off his broom and Severus, along with many others, gave him a hardy pat on the back.

I smiled. "You did wonderful." I told him as he looked straight at me.

Before I could comprehend what he was doing, I felt something soft, smooth and cold against my lips. My eyes scanned what was in front of me, and I finally figured out what was happening. Regulus was kissing me. Well, this was unexpected.

He pulled away quicker than I wanted him too, but at least he clasped his hand in mine. He held up the Snitch, held my hand, and healed my heart all in a few bloody moments.

However, I didn't expect what happened next even more than I didn't expect Regulus to kiss me. Quickly and for no reason at all, I glanced onto the field. That was when I saw Sirius swing his little bat. A brown streak flew through the air, straight towards us. Before I knew it, the Bludger had collided with Regulus' left arm, the one in the air holding the Snitch.

"Regulus!" I yelled as he fell backwards, clutching his arm. I fell to my knees and tried to help him, but Madame Pomfrey was there too quickly for me to do anything. I glanced back at Sirius as he glared at his brother. That was the end of the line.

* * *

I sat on a plastic chair besides Regulus' bed in the Hospital Wing. Carefully, my hand caressed his pale face. He'd been out cold for a while now, and I wanted nothing more than for him to wake up and talk to me. I wanted to hear his voice, the deep, soothing tone it was.

"You'll be alright…" I promised his subconscious. Slowly, the hand that wasn't stroking his cheek jumped to his left hand. I was careful not to do anything that would hurt him anymore, as his arm had been broken in three places and dislocated.

"Shane!" I heard Bella's familiar voice shout to me from the opposite end of the room. "Shane, you're never going to believe this!"

"Shh!" I snapped, holding a finger to my mouth. "He's asleep!"

Her mouth flew shut, and she nodded. "Sorry, I'm just so excited." She whispered as she walked over and kneeled beside me. "Black's been kicked off the team, Gryffindor has to hold tryouts for a new Beater."

"Good," I said. "The git deserves it."

"Bloody hell he deserves it." I smiled as Regulus' eyes opened slightly. He smiled over at me. "He's dead when I get out of here."

"He's dead right now." I corrected, standing up. "Don't worry, everyone knows that I'm a better duelist than him." I planted a swift kiss on his cheek and then began to leave the room.

"Be careful!" He yelled after me.

"I will!" I yelled back.

Quickly, I walked down the corridor and found myself on the Grand Staircase. But, before I could go anywhere, I had to determine where Black would be. It wasn't that hard to figure out, because Gryffindor always had a party after their Quidditch games, whether or not they won. All I had to do was get in. I knew the password, it wouldn't be a challenge.

So, I began to run towards the seventh floor. I fished my wand out of my back pocket as I went. I was determined to get there as soon as possible to beat Black to a pulp. In fact, I was so determined I almost ran past him as I saw him sitting in the hallway. His back was against the wall, and his head was in his hands. I was extremely confused.

"Oi!" I yelled. His head flashed up, and I knew something was wrong. I didn't picture him doing anything like this. I expected him to be standing in a group of girls, a smirk on his face as he talked about breaking his brother's arm. But, no. Instead, he was sitting a corridor alone with his head down and _that_ look on his face.

He looked broken. His eyes didn't shine like they used to. His long, black hair seemed greasy and unattended to. He had bags under his eyes as if he'd lost hours of sleep every night. He looked just like I had before I talked to Regulus.

Slowly, I began to back away. He just watched. After a few slow steps, I turned around and booked it as fast as I could.

Luckily, I wasn't that far from the portrait of Professor Switch. I soon found myself reaching down and pulling the switch. The portrait swung open and I raced in, my hands beginning to shake. I threw myself onto my bed and curled up in a ball.

Why was I acting like this, you ask? Well, I'd had a bizarre thought. What if Sirius was acting so strangely because he missed me? It was fine that he missed me, but it _wasn't_ fine that I _wanted_ him to miss me. I wanted him to come crawling back to me broken. I didn't want to miss him. I wanted to forget him. Correction, I _needed_ to forget him.

I grabbed my tear-stained pillow and held it to my face as I screamed. It wasn't enough, I was still in pain. How did someone get rid of pain?

I removed my face from my pillow and look down at my right wrist. The charm bracelet he'd given me was still there. Suddenly, I knew what I'd have to do.

I stood and slowly walked to the small hallway that led back out to the corridor. However, I wasn't going outside. I was going into the small bathroom that linked to the hallway. I never really used this bathroom.

As I opened the door, I stared at my wrist. I'd never done this in real life, but I'd played a part in a movie once where I had to learn how to do it. All I needed was something sharp.

I dug through the many drawers I had in the room, and soon gave up on looking for something. Instead, I pulled my wand out.

"_Accio Pocket Knife_!" I whispered clearly. Quickly, the red Swiss army knife that Dumbledore had given me last year flew into the bathroom. I grabbed it and flipped the blade open. I stared at it for several moments, going over my options. I decided that I had to do it. So, with a shaky breath, I brought the knife to my wrist and pulled as fast as I could.

I gasped as I felt the wound open and the air hit my warm, eggplant blood. In an instant, I felt all of my pain go from my heart to my wrist. It was a relief. So, I gripped the blade in my right hand and did the other wrist. It felt so good to finally get all of the weight off my shoulders.

Soon, my vision started to go fuzzy. I felt all of the blood drain from my face and my legs got weak. It was just like that time that Remus attacked during the full moon, only I was enjoying this. I looked down at my right wrist and, with the last ounce of strength I had, brought the charm bracelet into full view. The once yellow string was stained eggplant. I smiled and looked up at the ceiling before slipping and losing my consciousness.

* * *

My eyes opened, and I saw nothing but a bright, white light. The pain in my wrists was gone, but so was the pain in my heart. I swiveled my head to look around, and I saw nothing. I was surrounded by white. I didn't even know if I could call it a place.

Slowly, I sat up and looked at my wrists. They looked normal. There was no wound, no scar, just pure, pale skin. There weren't even any blood stains on them. And the charm bracelet was gone. I looked down to see my naked chest.

I blushed and covered myself up. Even though I was sure there was no one around, I didn't feel comfortable being naked here. I really wished I had something to wear.

As if on command, a pair of jeans and a T-shirt appeared at my feet, along with my undergarments. I quickly dressed and stood up.

It was warm in the white. Every inch of me seemed to be glowing. I felt amazing, like nothing could hurt me. Like the pain would never come back.

"Look at you."

I flashed around. I'd heard that voice only once before, but I'd know it anywhere. It was the voice that had saved my life.

"You look older than you did a year ago." Kenneth said, a smile on his kind face. The scar near his left eye wiggled as he smiled and morphed with his wrinkling skin.

"Am I dead?" I asked. I hadn't intended it to be as loud as it sounded.

He shook his head. "Not yet, but you're getting there." He took a few steps closer to me. "Tell me, why try to commit suicide?"

"I wasn't trying to commit suicide!" I yelled with a look of fear written across my face. "I was just trying to get rid of the pain!"

"You can't get rid of pain." He mumbled. "You have to deal with it."

Suddenly, a table formed a few yards to my left. On it was a board of Wizards' Chess.

"You've played Wizards' Chess, haven't you?" He asked, slowly taking a seat at the table and setting up the pieces. I nodded. "Wonderful, then sit."

I did as I was told and stared at the pieces in front of me. There was something strange about these pieces, though. On the Queen, there was a face. My face. All of the other pieces were blank.

My eyes flashed to Kenneth's pieces. On his King was his own face. On his Queen was a beautiful woman with dimples and wrinkles in all of the right places. Her eyes were almond shaped, and the irises were painted bright blue. There were faces on the rest of his pieces too.

"Is that your wife?"

He smiled and picked up his Queen. "My ex-wife." He told me, staring at the piece. He set it down and picked up another, his Bishop. "This is my son, Mark. He just turned fifteen a few months ago."

"If all of your pieces have faces, why are mine blank?" I asked, picking up my King.

Another smile slipped onto his face. "Guess."

I glanced up at him, and then looked back down at the piece. I watched as two faces morphed and changed, pushed and shoved at each other. I knew those faces. It was Sirius and Regulus.

"I'm undecided. I don't know who my king should be." I said, staring at the piece carefully.

"You're absolutely right, you _are_ undecided. But, you don't have to be." He moved one of his Pawns forward. "You don't know it, but I've seen you with both of them."

My eyes jumped to his smiling face, and then I look back down at the game. I moved one of my Pawns as well. "Well, that's just wonderful."

He chuckled. "You love Sirius, don't you?"

I sighed and moved my left hand to my right wrist. I felt something there and, as I looked down, I realized it was the charm bracelet. I bit my lip and stared at the wooden carving of the dog. "Yeah," I said, nodding my head. "But he doesn't love me back. Sirius Black doesn't love."

"Now, you don't know that."

"Yes I do, he told me." I blurted. "Do you know how many girls he's been with since I've been here? At least twenty. At least."

"That doesn't mean he doesn't love you. Have you seen him lately? I know you have so don't lie to me." He snapped, moving another piece. I countered, and he continued. "You saw him in the corridor, you know how he's been feeling lately."

"That's because he broke Regulus' bloody arm!"

"No, that's because he saw your face when he did!"

We were both silent then. What happened to the Kenneth everyone had told me about? What happened to the playful guy that everyone else knew? And who was he to talk to me about love? He was the one who'd gotten divorced, not me.

"You know that he's the jealous type," He said angrily. "And you know that he saw his brother kiss you."

"He doesn't love me. He doesn't love Regulus. He doesn't even love his own goddamn parents!" I yelled as I stood up.

"Then explain to me why he sleeps with a picture of you beneath his pillow!"

And that was where the argument ended. That was where everything ended. Kenneth and the table began to fade into the white, and I was left alone. I was left standing there with Kenneth's last words to me ringing in my ears.

_He sleeps with a picture of you beneath his pillow…_

**A/N: Well, I got the idea for this chapter from the... I think it was the second to last chapter of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The scene and whole act of this chapter was based on that. It really was one of my favorite chapters. **

**Anyways, hope everyone's having a good holiday! I celebrate Christmas, so it's happy time for me. Well, other than the fact that this is the first Christmas where I haven't had to buy presents for my grandpa. RIP Grandpa Gordy. I get to fondue tonight, so I'm looking forward to that. **

**To celebrate the holiday season, I'll be posting tomorrow, too! Yes, chapter 20 will be up soon. I can't even remember what happens in that chapter... Hm, well, I guess I'll just have to wait and see. **

**R&R  
**


	20. Finished

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Marauders, Regulus, Hogwarts or anything else that I might've missed. I only own Shane, the plot, and Andrew McCormick. **

**Sirius Black**

May 16th, 1978

The sun shone through the gothic style windows that led to the courtyard. It was quiet today, because most people were outside enjoying the first warm day we'd had since November. I would normally have been out there with them, but I had a lot on my mind for the past few days.

Two days ago, I'd broken Regulus' arm, all because he'd kissed Shane. I'd expected her to move on, I'd been praying for it. But, I never expected that she'd go for Reg. In fact, that was the last thing I thought she'd do.

Either way, I was hurt when I saw her kiss him back. I knew it was wrong, but I wanted her to push him away, I wanted her to have at least a shred of feeling left for me.

Then, after the game, she came out of nowhere with her wand in her hand. I thought she was going to attack me, but she just froze. I did my best to keep my emotions from showing, but I don't think I did a very good job. I have one reason. She hadn't been at classes since last Friday. I hadn't seen her yet this week, and I always saw her. I made bloody sure of that.

I sighed and stopped walking for a moment. I needed someone to talk to, someone who wouldn't harp on me like Moony did and someone who wouldn't call me something bad for just bringing her up like Prongs did lately. I needed someone who was still close to her, someone who would understand.

That was when the idea flashed into my mind. I'd go talk to Dumbledore. He'd know what to say. He always had.

So, I began walking. I didn't get very far, however.

"Bastard!" I heard as a fist collided with my face. I flew to the floor and rubbed my jaw as I looked to find out who my attacker was. Surprise, surprise, it's Regulus.

"Sounds like you're having a good day." I mumbled, carefully pushing myself back to my feet.

He glared at me with the grey eyes that we shared. "You're the reason she did it!" He yelled at me. "You're the reason for all of this!"

"What the bloody hell are you talking about you wanker?"

"You honestly don't know?" Reg spat, his hands curling into fists. "How can you not know?"

"Well, I'd like to if you feel like getting over your little tantrum." I shot back, moving my jaw around to get rid of the aching feeling.

He scowled and turned around. "C'mon."

With discretion, I followed him. I made sure to keep some distance between us, just in case he decided my face wasn't broken enough.

We walked silently to the fourth floor. What we were doing here was a mystery to me. As far as I knew, Regulus was leading me into an ambush of Slytherins. I highly doubted he was leading me towards anything important or meaningful.

However, I was proven wrong when we entered the Hospital Wing. When I saw the "she" that Regulus had mentioned, I knew what he'd been talking about.

There, laying in one of the many beds, was Shane. She was pale, even more so than normal. She looked _unhealthily_ pale. She looked calm. But what concerned me the most were the bandages around her wrists.

"What the bloody hell happened to her?" I asked as I dropped to my knees at her side.

Regulus was silent for a moment. "I found her in her bathroom Saturday night. She'd… She'd cut herself…" He mumbled, sadness apparent in his voice. "She keeps saying your name."

I couldn't believe it. Shane had felt so much pain that she took it out on her wrists? It couldn't really be about me, could it? I mean, she hated me. Why would she hurt herself over me? _Me_?

"My name? You're sure?" I asked before swallowing the lump in my throat.

"Sirius…" She whispered. Slowly, she rolled over. That was the first time that I realized that she was wearing the bracelet I'd made for her. I carefully caressed it, along with her hand.

"She won't take it off." I turned to look at my brother. The look of anger that had been on his face a few minutes ago had changed to sadness. "I told her it would be easier to forget about you if she took it off, but she said no. She still loves you, there's nothing that can change that."

I looked back at Shane. "You know," I started, talking to my brother as I hadn't in a long time. "I thought you'd just been nice to her to get at me…" I stroked her face one more time, and then slowly turned to Reg. "You love her, don't you?"

"She's just a friend-"

"No, you love her." I interrupted him. "You know what she is, don't you? Did she tell you?"

His lips thinned and he swallowed. "No, she didn't tell me," He told me, glaring at me with stony eyes. He really was too much like our mother. "I figured it out on my own. The Dark Lord was proud of me for getting on her good side. He trusts me now!"

This time, it was my turn to glare. I'd always known Reg wasn't the nicest person around, but that was the last straw. I was going to win Shane back over somehow.

"Stay away from her, you bastard." I whispered, my voice harsh and hostile.

Regulus ignored me and went on. "You know, I'm surprised you didn't shag her. She's got one of those bodies that just turns me on." He tried to annoy me. "I'm sure she'd be more than willing to come to my room with me. I might even have a little luck and she'd ask for more."

"Shut up!" My fist collided with his face, and I heard a crunch. His nose was going to be oddly shaped for the rest of his life.

"Mr. Black!" The shrill voice of Madame Pomfrey echoed through the room. Her face was as red as a tomato, and I knew that I was in trouble. "If all you're going to do is put more patients in _my_ hospital wing, get out! Out, I say!"

I glanced at Shane once more, and then turned around to book it. Madame Pomfrey was scarier than Prongs after sugar, and that was saying something.

So, I hightailed it out of there. However, Shane was on my mind the entire way back to the common room. I knew I'd have to win her back and get the Marauders to accept her again somehow, but that was the mystery.

I hadn't a clue how to get her back.

* * *

Saturday. The first day of the weekend. My favorite day of the week. Saturday. This particular Saturday was being spent on the grounds with the Marauders and Evans. Normally, I would've enjoyed this.

But not today.

No, today I was going to win Shane over. So, naturally, I couldn't stop thinking about her. The Marauders didn't know about my little scheme, and I wasn't worried about it. James wouldn't be happy with me, but I wouldn't care. As long as I got her back, this was going to be the best day of my life.

I flipped a red apple around in my hands, biting my lip and allowing every word that Prongs was saying to go straight through my head. My heart was beating gently, yet rapidly as I thought about what I'd decided to do today.

"Padfoot, you alright?" Prongs asked, snapping me out of my own little world and back to reality.

"I'm fine," I muttered, taking a large bite out of the apple. I chewed a little bit, and then spat it in his face. "See, just like always."

Amazingly, Evans laughed. "Alright, cut it out before you ruin this tree."

I smiled and leaned my back against the rough bark. It was then that I heard the obnoxious laughing that always meant my brother. I watched as people ran past us to see what was going on. Quickly, I stood and followed the group of teens.

"Not so big now, are you McCormick?" It was Shane's voice. But, at the same time, it wasn't. It was too cold to be Shane. Not to mention that she was surrounded by Mulciber and Snivellus.

"Leave me alone!" A high pitched voice yelped. I recognized it as third year Andrew McCormick, a kid from Gryffindor. Was she really terrorizing a little kid?

I pushed through the crowd to see what was going on. A few people around me glanced, but most wouldn't take their eyes off of what was happening in the center of the circle. As I found myself in front of everyone else, I understood why.

"Go ahead, call him a bastard again!" She yelled at the top of her lungs, swiftly kicking Andrew. "Do it!"

"Oi!" I yelled, deciding it was time to interfere. I knew Shane, and I knew that she'd regret hurting him later. Better to stop her now.

She flashed around, along with her Slytherin flunkeys. The anger on her face was extreme, or at least far more than I'd ever seen it. Therefore, my bravery wavered. I felt like she was a cougar and I was a deer with a limp. I couldn't escape her, and I wouldn't dare to attack.

The anger in her eyes faded for a moment, and all that was left was the menacing scowl. However, it returned all too quickly. It left me with hope, though, because I'd seen something when the anger left her eyes. It was happiness.

"Leave me alone, Black!" She sneered at me, turning back towards Andrew.

"No," I said, taking a step into the circle. "You're hurting a Gryffindor, and I feel that I need to protect him. You wouldn't hurt a thirteen year old, would you?"

"I'm not above it." She growled, turning back to me with her teeth barred.

"C'mon, we all know that you couldn't hurt anyone. You're not as cold as you act."

"How would you know, you're not the one that got their heart ripped out."

I winced at her statement. Was that really how she felt? And I was guessing that she didn't know that's how I felt.

"He's from your own house-"

"No, he's a Gryffindor. I'm a Slytherin."

That was where I froze. She wasn't a Slytherin, but Regulus had convinced her that she was. She was a Gryffindor, nothing less, but a hell of a lot more. How'd she let Regulus tell her that she wasn't a Gryffindor? She's the bravest person I know, save for Dumbledore and myself.

"Just leave him alone, alright." I said, stepping over and gently pushing past her. The other two made sure to jerk towards me, but Shane glanced at them and they froze. "C'mon Andrew. I'll take you to the hospital wing." I helped the poor kid to his feet and carefully guided him out of the crowd of people.

"Thanks." He muttered as we made our way across the grounds.

I smiled. "It's no problem." I answered, ruffling his shaggy, blond hair. "But, I do have one question for you. Why the bloody hell was she so mad at you?"

He was silent as he looked down at his shoes. "I, um, called her boyfriend a bastard."

"My brother? Really? I've been replaced." I chuckled, stuffing my hands in my pockets. "Personally, I think he deserves it. Shane might not realize it, but he's the worst possible person to date."

"Other than you." Andrew spoke, his voice loud and clear. He seemed determined to get a point across. "I mean, you've dated how many girls?"

"At least I don't date them just for sex."

He threw me a skeptic look.

"Alright, I dated _most_ of them for sex, but Shane was different." I replied. This kid knew more than I thought he would.

"How different?" He stopped mid step and watched my face carefully.

In that moment I decided to confide in someone. If I couldn't tell my best mates, I could tell a stranger. Plus, he might be able to help in some shape or form.

"I love Shane."

"You used present tense," He mumbled, a look of curiosity bouncing into his eyes. "If you still love her, why break up with her?"

"Because I didn't want to hurt her."

"Yeah, that worked well." The sarcasm was dripping from his tongue.

"I thought telling her I didn't want her anymore would help her got over me, but I guess that didn't really work…" He shook his head in agreement. "I just wanted her to have a clean break. Instead, she's goes to my bloody halfwit brother."

"Ain't that the truth."

I smiled. I liked this kid.

"Maybe she's got a thing for the color black."

I laughed. "That was good, she would've laughed at that." I said. "Listen, I need you to help me with something. Something important."

"What is it?"

"I wanna get her back, especially after seeing what happened back there. And I want your help."

**A/N: Happy Holidays! You'll never guess what I got for Christmas! FIFTY BUCKS! And then I got another fifty from my parents! Plus the hundred and thirty I had saved and the EIGHTY that I'm gonna get from returning the MP3 Player they got me. THAT'S 300 DOLLARS! I'm planning on getting an iPod Touch, but you never know, I might change my mind.**

**Anyways, I know Shane and Sirius haven't been apart for very long, but it's longer than it seems. This chapter is placed in May, and they broke up in January.**

**I probably won't post for a while after this, seeing as I only have five more chapters ready to post. But, I'll get another one up as soon as possible. PLus, I have two projects due after break, and I haven't even started them. So, I really gotta get going on that!**

**R&R  
**


	21. Getting Help

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hogwarts, the Marauders or Dumbledore. I own nothing. Nothing! Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling. Lucky woman.**

**Shane Spencer**

May 26th, 1978

I was exhausted. Another full moon had gone by like all of the others, and I felt like a piece of tenderized meat. Regulus had recommended a massage, but I declined. I didn't want anyone touching me at the time. Especially not him.

In a mad dash, I raced through the dungeons. I was late for potions. Slughorn was going to have my head. Again.

I saw the wooden door and stared for a few seconds. The sooner I got there, the less trouble I'd be in. Nonetheless, the door seemed miles away from where I stood. I'd have to book it despite the sand in my eyes.

So, I shot off like a rocket. My feet felt like fire in my shoes as I pushed and pushed, eventually running into the door and throwing it open. It wasn't the exact entrance I wanted, but it was enough.

Professor Slughorn was standing in front of the class, all of whom were standing. The desks had been cleared away, and several cauldrons stood at the front of the class along with the Professor.

"You're late, Ms. Spencer." He said in a stern voice, his eyes scanning my face.

I nodded. "I know, I slept in by accident." My eyes flashed to Remus for a moment, and then back to the Professor.

He cleared his throat and smiled. "Understood, Ms. Spencer. Now, please join your classmates."

"That's not fair!" I heard Potter pipe up, pushing through to the front of the crowd. "The rest of us managed to make it here on time, don't you think she deserves some punishment. Hell, even I was here on time!"

"Shut up, Potter!"

"Make me!"

"Children!" Slughorn bellowed above the two of us. "Please, Ms. Spencer's been having a rough time, and you'd be wise to respect that Mr. Potter." He took a deep breath. "Ms. Spencer, please join your classmates."

I nodded and quickly walked towards the group, joining Snape near the front of the group.

"Now," Slughorn seemed to be continuing a long and boring lecture. "We've been over the Draught of Living Death, so we'll move onto this next potion. Can anyone tell me what it is? Yes, Mr. Sullivan?"

Mike Sullivan, a Ravenclaw student stepped forward and looked into the small, bronze cauldron. "That's Amortentia, Professor." He said, stepping back. "The strongest love potion in the world."

"Correct, Mr. Sullivan, five points to Ravenclaw." Slughorn smiled and continued on. "This may be a love potion, but real love is impossible to create. Instead, it sets the drinker into a period of obsession. Mr. Black, Ms. Spencer, would you move forward and tell me what you smell in this potion?"

_It just had to be Black…_ I thought, groaning as I stepped forward. I would've objected with any other teacher, but I knew Slughorn would just ignore me and push me even further.

"You first, Mr. Black." The Professor said, side stepping and letting Black near the cauldron. I watched as he leaned over the cauldron, his eyes closed. He took a deep breath, and his eyes flashed open. A smiled came to his face.

"I smell mildew, and fresh bread, and bubblegum." He recited the words as if by memory. He'd smelled that somewhere before, and he wasn't going to forget it anytime soon. I bet it was Morgan's perfume.

He backed away from the cauldron and looked at me. "I believe it's your turn, Spence."

I glared at him, and then quickly bent over the cauldron. The scent hit my face like a sudden wind. However, I enjoyed it. It was nice, like pine trees and peaches. I liked that smell.

"I smell…" Suddenly, I realized where the smell was from. It was _his_ smell. It was what hit my nose whenever I was on _his_ back. Whenever I was near him, that's what I smelled. "Gah!" I yelled.

In one swift movement, I'd pushed over the cauldron and run out the door. This is exactly what I needed. _Exactly_. As I ran, I felt fresh tears stream down my face. I didn't want to think about him, I wanted to ignore him, but I couldn't. I couldn't stop loving him, no matter how hard I tried.

I was a masochist. I loved him, even though it wasn't what was best for me. That _was_ bad, right?

* * *

I sat quietly in my bedroom, doing my Transfiguration essay and doing my best to hide from Regulus. At the moment, I was undecided about him. I was also undecided about Sirius, Lily, James, Remus and all of the others. I didn't know what to do or who to trust.

I sighed and dashed the final period onto my essay. That was the last of my homework, and the last of my distractions. I'd have to face everything sooner or later, and I decided to procrastinate for as long as I could.

So, I stood up and walked over to my bookshelf. I had at least a hundred books on there, several of them from Dumbledore. A few I'd bought over the summer at Tomes and Scrolls. Krutch, as the old owner of the store had told me to call him, was always excited to see me in the shop. Sometimes, I swore he was more knowledgeable than Dumbledore.

I ran my right index finger over the spines of the books, looking over the titles as I did so. There was one book I was looking for. I didn't know why I was looking for it, but I felt that it was the right time.

Soon, I found the book. It was about halfway down the shelf. I hadn't looked through it in ages, much less cared about where it was located on my oh so exclusive bookshelf.

I pulled it open and immediately found myself staring Sirius Black in the eye. As I looked to my left, I found myself caught under his arm. My eyes moved in that direction once more, and I found Remus tucked under my arm. It was just the three of us, no James or Peter.

Suddenly, I knew who I had to talk to.

I slammed the book shut with a dim smile on my face. However, that smile was short-lived.

"Shane?" That voice was familiar, and I _really_ didn't want to hear it right now. "Shane, you in here?"

I groaned and shoved the book back onto the shelf. "Yeah, I'm here," I said so Regulus could hear me. "Come on in, there's something I need to talk to you about."

I heard his heavy footfalls as he walked further into my room. He really did have gigantic feet. "Uh oh, I don't like that tone." He mumbled with a smirk on his face as he appeared in my room.

I smiled politely at him as he walked over to me. He bent down and tried to kiss my cheek, but I moved to the side subconsciously. His lips had barely brushed my pallid skin when he realized something was going on.

"You alright?" He asked, slowly backing away from me. He kept his hand on my forearm as he looked at my eyes. I didn't dare to look back.

"Actually…" I mumbled, carefully removing his hand from me. "Actually, I'm not. There's something I need to tell you."

His brow furrowed. "Well, what is it?"

I swallowed hard and looked down at the floor. "I…" I quickly shoved the words out of my throat, but they were so jumbled even _I_ didn't know what I said.

He chuckled and lifted my chin, forcing me to look at him. "You can tell me anything, Shane. I won't hurt you like he did."

"You won't, but I might." I mumbled.

I could see his brow furrow out of the corner of my eye, and his hand dropped from my chin. I instantly missed the warmth he provided, and my mind began to try and turn its plan around. However, I was in charge. I didn't like Regulus as much as I thought I did.

"I can't do this anymore. I'm done."

"I can respect that."

"Really?

"Nope."

I chuckled. I could already tell that we were alright. I knew he'd understand. "So, we're cool then?"

He smiled and nodded. "Just as long as you don't go running back to my brother, I'm alright with it." He mumbled, patting my shoulder gently. "I'm always here if you need me."

I nodded. "Thanks."

He ruffled my hair and turned around, slowly leaving my room. I began to think about what he'd said as I watched. So, he wasn't going to be a part of my life much longer.

* * *

My eyes were downcast, and every step I took made my mind race. My stomach was rumbling and flipping, and I sometimes tasted a little bit of vomit in my throat. This was definitely not something I could live with for much longer. Hopefully, Dumbledore would be able to help me. I had no doubt he would, seeing as his excuse for everything was love, and he was the wisest person I knew.

I sighed, trying again to swallow the chunky feeling in my throat.

Quickly, my feet pushed me through the final corridor. I saw the giant gargoyle, and knew that this was where everything ended. This is where I made my decision. After this, I'd know what to do. Wouldn't I?

"Ms. Spencer." Tutela, the gargoyle guarding Dumbledore's tower spat at me. We'd been in a few fights as well.

"Hello, Tutela." I mumbled, my hands folding behind my back as I bit my lip. "Petrol."

He grunted and I listened as the familiar sound of stone grinding filled the corridor. Hopefully making up my mind would help him forgive me for all of the mouth I'd given him.

The stone ceased and I walked forward, setting my feet gently on the stone steps. The stairs began to spiral upwards, and the pace of my breath moved slightly faster. I licked my lips as I stepped off the stairs and onto the solid marble of the hallway with the door to Dumbledore's quarters.

I took a deep breath as I stepped in front of the large, wood and iron doors. I raised my fist and knocked quickly, waiting for the professor to open them.

Soon, they did just what I was waiting for and Dumbledore appeared in front of me. He watched me accusingly over his half-moon glasses, his sky blue eyes piercing my golden ones.

"I wasn't expecting you at this late hour, Shane."

I nodded, taking a shaky breath. "I…" I sighed, trying to pull myself together. "I need your advice on something."

He watched me carefully for several moments, and I knew that his eyes were tearing me apart as they tried to figure out my true intentions. I'd lost his trust.

Finally, he nodded and opened the door a bit further. "Come in."

I nodded and stepped inside slowly. This was an awkward encounter, which was strange because I was always comfortable around him. Even when we first met, I found it easy to trust him.

I affectionately looked around the familiar, circular office. I hadn't been in here for months because Dumbledore thought I had a slight tendency to be "destructive" lately. However, nothing had changed. Everything was exactly where I remembered. At least something in my life hadn't changed.

"How can I help you, Shane?"

I turned around to face Dumbledore. I'd almost forgotten he was there.

"Before I start, I want to say that I'm sorry." I mumbled, looking down at my feet. "I've been a… a bitch lately and I honestly wish I could take it back. Can you forgive me?"

He strode over to me quickly and set his hands on my shoulders, looking me in the eyes with a bright smile on his face. "I was never mad at you, Shane. You had good reason to act as you did." He said. "But, that doesn't mean it was wise, or the right choice."

"That's why I'm here." I blurted, looking back up at him. "I'm so lost. I don't… I don't understand anything anymore. I just need your help."

"Then I will help you, but I can't promise that I can make everything alright. You'll end up having to do that yourself." He moved his hands to my face, making me look at him. "Now, tell me what your problem is."

I nodded as he removed his hand and took a step backwards. "Have you ever… been… in love?" I felt uncomfortable, talking to him about this. He'd never told me anything about people he'd known when he was my age.

He watched me again, most likely reading my nervous jerks. "Once, a very long time ago with a girl I barely knew."

I sighed as I nodded. "How did you… y'know… know…?"

He smiled softly at me, and gestured to the chair that was in front of his desk. "It's a feeling, love is. You never know who's going to cause it until you open up to them."

I sat down and bit my lip, waiting for him to spout some more knowledge. But, it never came. That was all he said about love. In fact, I think he was waiting for me to say something. So, that's what I did.

"You know what happened, right? Between me and Sirius."

He nodded.

"And you know what happened with Regulus."

He nodded again.

I took a deep breath. "I don't know… which one is… right…" I groaned and pulled my knees up to my chest. I suddenly felt the need to hold myself together. "I mean, Regulus saved me from depression and Sirius was… is… he's…" My hand flew to my forehead and I rubbed my temple.

"You love him." Dumbledore chuckled, sitting in his desk chair. "But you feel the same when it comes to Regulus."

I shook my head in my hands. "No, I don't love Regulus the way I do Sirius." I told him, sitting up again, but not exactly straight.

"Then you should be with Sirius, shouldn't you?"

"You forget that _he_ left _me_." I blurted. This was a main point in my mind. "What if he doesn't want me?"

"That's something you'll have to figure out on your own, my dear."

I stared at him, trying to figure out whether or not he was enjoying my pain. I had no doubt that's why he talked to me in metaphor all the time. He got off on my pain. That had to be it.

I stood, still holding myself as if I'd fall apart if I didn't. "Thank you, Professor." I said, smiling at him for the first time in weeks.

He stood as well. "I'm glad to have you back, Shane."

"Glad to be back, Professor."

**A/N: I realize this was a really sappy chapter, and I apologize. But, several of the following chapters are going to be sap-city. Siriusly, don't say I didn't warn you. However, I hope you're all glad to have the non-bitchy Shane back. Yes, I have a feeling things are going to get a lot better from this point. **

**I'm really excited to write the climax of this story. I have so much planned, and I'm thinking about adding some song lyrics to the last few chapters. I found a few songs that will fill that spot perfectly from both Shane and Sirius' POV! **

**_I HAVE A POLL UP ABOUT THE SONG THING! PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!_**

******Anyways, I think that's about it this time. So, keep an eyes out for the next chapter, hopefully up soon!**

******PS**

******A few reviews from some of you other than CuteLikeMomiji would be nice. Or, is it PandaChanLovesPandaChan? I don't know, she changes it so much...**

******R&R  
**


	22. A Tutor and her Student

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Marauders, Lily Evans or the Room of Requirement. Everything belongs to the amazing and wonderful J.K. Rowling.**

**Sirius Black**

May 29th, 1978

Mondays are the worst, don't you think. The first day of the week. I hated Mondays. But, this was a special Monday, because Moony was bugging me to study for my N.E.W.T's. I hadn't studied at all, and I was very sure that I wasn't going to pass much.

"Sirius, do you want to get a job when we get out of here or not?" He spat, glaring at me as he shoved his potions textbook in my direction.

"'Course I do, I just don't want to study." I responded.

"Padfoot, even _I_ studied." Prongs spoke up, taking a careful bite out of his apple. "C'mon, mate, passing these tests determine what we do and where we go in the future."

"You're getting all of this bull from Evans."

"Exactly why I'm telling you, mate."

I glared at him. He'd finally disappeared from the light of trouble. I was going to miss him. However, I didn't think about Prongs for too long, because someone familiar appeared behind Moony.

"Excuse me," Shane cleared her throat, ignoring me and looking down at Remus. She was ignoring me. Did I do something wrong? "Remus, if I could speak to you in private."

He gaped up at her, as did I. I hadn't heard her call any of us by our first name in months.

"Um, of course," He said, standing up.

She nodded and began to walk out of the Great Hall. Moony shrugged at me before following her. I was curious as to what she needed to talk to him about. School work most likely. You could never be sure though.

"What do you think is going on in her screwed up little mind?" Prongs asked, taking a large, violent bite out of his toast.

"James, I know she hasn't been the nicest person lately but her mind isn't screwed up _or_ little." Evans piped up, setting her small hand on his shoulder. "In fact, she's surpassed me in all of our classes. Plus, she _was_ unexpectedly and brutally dumped."

I frowned and looked away. Evans kept playing that card, and it was really starting to bug me.

_In fact, she's surpassed me in all of our classes…_ I recalled Evans' words, a plan snapping into my mind.

I stood up, slinging my bag over my broad shoulders. "I've gotta go talk to a third year, see you in History of Magic." I mumbled, grabbing a piece of toast and running the length of the table. Andrew always sat at the very end, near the teachers with his friends.

"Hey, mind if I sit down?" I asked as I shoved one of Andrew's fellow third years down the bench and sat beside my little friend. "Hey, Andy, I need you to verify something for me."

"Since when am I Andy?" He asked, running his hand through his sandy-blond hair.

"Since right now." I said quickly. "Listen, would asking the Woman to tutor me be crazy?" I called Shane the Woman because I didn't want people coming to crazy assumptions and starting rumors. I couldn't have her being the butt of everyone else's jokes. Ney, I _wouldn't_ have her being the butt of everyone else's jokes.

"Well, you do have N.E.W.T's coming up, so you'd have a good reason." He told me, snatching a cinnamon roll from the platter in front of him. "That doesn't mean she wouldn't smack you, though."

I nodded and set my large hand on his shoulder. "I've been smacked plenty of times, but thanks for worrying." I stood up and began to jog away from the table. I stopped and ran back. "Almost forgot, thanks for your help." Then, I was off like a speeding bullet.

My agile feet carried me past Prongs, Evans and Wormtail (who'd just gotten back from St. Mungo's the day before) and through the large doors out of the Great Hall. I followed the hallway, my eyes scanning for Shane.

As I left the hallway, I saw her. She was huddled with Moony near the base of the marble staircase that led to the Grand Staircase. I quickly stepped behind a suit of armor. I didn't know why, but I thought it best to hide from them.

Their voices were hushed and I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I could tell that they were having an argument. At least, Moony was. Shane seemed calm and collected, and I almost thought I saw a flash of a smile appear on her face. Sooner or later, Moony calmed down as well, and the two conversed for a while. Finally, they shared a smile and a hug, and Shane headed up the staircase.

I held my breath as Moony walked closer to me, a smile on his scarred face. He passed me without noticing, and I let the breath out.

Shit, where'd Shane go?

* * *

She was sitting alone. Why was she sitting alone? Had Snivellus finally gotten on her nerves? Personally, I was hoping that was it. Hopefully she'd be sitting with me on Wednesday, instead of the girl that had won the spot for the day.

"I hope you all have been studying for you N.E.W.T's, because I've read it over and the test is harder than ever this year." Professor Merrythought smirked at us, as though she was thrilled that most of us were going to fail. It wouldn't surprise me. Despite her name, she was vicious.

The bell rang and I stood up as fast as I could.

"Goodbye, Sirius!" The girl that had sat with me today yelled as I raced after Shane, who'd already made her way out of the classroom.

"Whatever!" I yelled back, my feet literally burning black spots onto the stone floor. She'd be heading towards the Slytherin common room, since we had a free period now. We were on the third floor, so it would take her a while to get down there.

I raced through the hallways, and soon found her. She was on the Grand Staircase, and no one was around her. This was the perfect opportunity. However, I couldn't move. I mean, I wanted to, but my body seemed frozen. This was the first time I was going to have a civilized conversations with her in forever, it was normal to be nervous.

"Shane!" The word flew out of my mouth with maximum volume. Well, there was no going back now. "Shane, wait up!"

I watched her brown hair swing as she turned around. I ran towards her, my heart beginning to pick up pace. Well, at least she wasn't cursing me or running away. Wait, she wasn't running away.

"Do you… need something?" She asked, staring at me as if I'd done something strange.

I nodded quickly. "I need a tutor."

She seemed to catch my drift, and she immediately began to shake her head. "Oh, no. No, no, no, no. If you need a tutor, ask Remus."

"He won't help me." I told her, taking a deep breath as I stared into her eyes. "I'd rather not ask Evans, so don't even bother bringing her up. Plus, she told me that you'd surpassed her in _everything_."

"What happened to not being friends anymore?" She asked.

"Well, we don't have to be friends." I mumbled, looking down at my feet. "You'd be my tutor, and I'd be the student. That's it."

She stared at me. I was really hoping that she'd at least give the idea a chance. "Not friends, just a tutor and a student?"

I nodded. "You don't have to choose now, just chew on it."

She nodded, and I smiled at her. Then, she turned around and continued down the staircase. I really hoped she couldn't hear my heartbeat, because, if she did, she'd know that I was nervous and she'd know what my true intentions were.

I smiled and leaned against the marble railing, thinking about the way she'd talked to me without screaming. That was a large leap in our relationship.

"Padfoot!" The smile was wiped from my face as Prongs ran to my side. "What the bloody hell was that?"

"I had to ask someone something." I told him flashing a bright smile. "Don't worry, I got it done. You don't have to fear anything."

"What's got you so up?" He asked, smiling and setting his hand on my shoulder. "I haven't seen you this happy since you were with that _thing_."

"You do remember that you used to fawn over that _thing_, right?"

"That was before she went over to the dark side."

"You act like she's a Star Wars character."

"You never know, maybe she was. Oh, I bet she played Darth Vader!"

"Shut up."

"Got it."

* * *

I stuffed a biscuit into my mouth, still refusing to let the smile that was there drop. There was an excellent reason for this smile, too. The reason was the fact that Shane was sitting at the Staff Table beside Dumbledore, just as she had been when I first met her. For the first time in months, she wasn't sitting with my git of a brother and it was really pissing him off.

It was going to take a lot to get her sitting back at the Gryffindor table, but I was willing to go the distance for her. Shane was the only girl that I would work so hard for. Wait, that was wrong. Shane's a woman, not a girl.

I smiled to myself and took a large bite out of a piece of pie I'd put on my plate.

"What are you so bloody giddy about?" Prongs asked, staring at me as if I was insane.

I swallowed my pie and sighed. A loud, rumbling belch found its way out of my mouth and I smiled. "I've just had a really good day."

"And it's about to get better." James was looking past me, and as I turned around I realized what he meant.

Jessica Marley, a seventh year Hufflepuff, was standing behind me. Jessica was tall, lean, and I'd heard some stories that gave her extremely good status in the broom closet. She was one of those girls that really enjoyed seducing men, and she really shouldn't have been placed in Hufflepuff.

"Hey, Sirius." She smiled, kneeling down so she was at my same height (I was sitting down). "Did you have any… plans… for this evening?"

"Um…" I mumbled as she set her hand on my knee. "N-Not really, no."

"Well," She bit her red, plump lip and smiled in a seductive way. "What would you say to having a little fun with me? I'm sure I'd surpass your expectations."

I gulped the lump that had formed in my throat and glanced up at the Staff Table. Shane was looking at me, but the moment I saw her looking, her eyes went to the Slytherin table. In that moment, I knew that I couldn't do anything that would ruin my chances with Shane.

"Sorry, Jessica, but I don't think you would." I told her, taking her hand and removing it from my leg. "There's only one girl that can possibly satisfy me, and she's not you."

Jessica looked insulted, and spat on my plate as she stood up. "Never bother to ask me for anything, alright." She sneered at me once more, and then looked at Prongs. "What about you, you're decent."

He smiled. "Sorry, but I have a girlfriend."

"You're out of luck here, maybe you should try Slytherin." I told her, giving her a hardy pat on her shoulder. Again, she seemed insulted. Maybe because I was treating her like one of the guys?

Jessica just scoffed and walked away from us. I smiled as I looked at my plate. I could hear people around me talking about how I, Sirius Black, had just turned down one hell of a shag. I didn't care what they thought, though. There was only one person whose opinion I really cared about.

I glanced at the Staff Table. Of course, Shane was looking at me. What made me happy, though, was the fact that she was smiling. Then she nodded. At first, I didn't understand, but I got it soon enough to nod back at her.

I looked away and continued to eat. However, dinner was over sooner than I thought it would've been. That little thing with Jessica must've taken at least fifteen minutes. I knew I had to talk to Shane, so I told Prongs that I was gonna stop by McGonagall's to get our homework assignment. He, along with the others, believed me and went ahead. I then waited for Shane to meet me near the doors.

"Sirius." She greeted me, gently giving me a nod.

"Shane." I nodded as well, shoving my hands into my pockets and smiling. "So, you'll tutor me?"

She nodded. "However, I have a few conditions." She began. "Rule number one, you're never late. The minute you're not there, I'm done. Agreed?"

I nodded.

"Rule number two, no one knows that I'm your tutor. If Regulus got wind that I was actually _talking_ to you he'd blow his top and kill the both of us."

"Alright."

"Last rule, we talk about academics and academics only."

"Deal." I told her, a smile a mile wide plastered to my face. "When do we start?"

She sighed and closed her eyes. "Tomorrow during our second free period. Be at the Room of Requirement at ten after three." She mumbled, rubbing her temples. "Remember, don't be late and don't tell anyone where you're going."

"Got it." I said, staring down at her. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yes, you will."

Then, she turned away from me and headed for her room. She really was quite unique. How someone could be so secluded was a mystery to me.

I shrugged and headed for the common room. As I walked there with a spring in my step, I began to think how tomorrow would go. I had to be there on time, at least. Then I'd work my arse off and do my best. I wasn't going to disappoint her.

I soon found myself climbing the staircase to my dormitory. My mind was still swimming in thoughts and images of Shane. I guess that's why Prongs and Moony were staring at me like I'd lost my marbles. I didn't speak a word to them, though. I just changed out of my robes and fell asleep in my warm, comfortable bed.

**A/N: This is were all of the sadness and hate between Sirius and Shane end. However, there are still several hurdles they have to jump, and jump together. But, my sadistic and cruel mind has a lot of things planned for them. Things that will test their relationship.**

**Anyways, my life is hectic, as always, and I have a lot of projects and homework lately, so I haven't been writing like I normally do. Then you throw in basketball and I end up with only about an hour every day for writing. That's not that much when you have several chapters left to write, and you're falling in love with the James Bond series. Yes, I'm becoming an action fan. However, this love only exists for one of the many Bonds. DANIEL CRAIG'S BOND, BABY! **

**In fact, I'm messing around with thoughts for a James Bond fanfiction. I know you Sirius fans probably don't care, but there might be a few of my fellow Bond Fans amongst you. **

**I'm not planning on updating for a while, but habit might force me to do so. Either way, keep and eyes out for further chapters. **

**R&R  
**


	23. Rule Breaking

**Disclaimer: I own nothing at all, not even Sirius. I really wish I owned my fiancé. It's rather sad that I don't…**

**Shane Spencer**

June 1st, 1978

I was standing in front of the Room of Requirement. I wasn't expecting Sirius to be here for at least ten minutes, so I had a little time to myself.

A small smile graced my face as I thought of the countless hours I'd spent in that room, innocently playing the piano. I'd written the beginnings of so many songs in there, but never the ends. I didn't know what the ends to the stories that the songs spoke were, therefore I could never finish the song itself.

I sighed and pushed through the doors. Unexpectedly, my piano and guitar sat in front of me. I knew I'd been thinking of them, but I needed some place that was good for studying, like a library.

I didn't dwell on it, though. The shinny, black, grand piano was calling my name. It was whispering to me, telling me that it was lonely and so forth and so on.

So, I set myself gently on the glossy, black bench and began to briskly trail my thin fingers over the keys. I didn't know where it came from, but a song began to form. There was a low backbeat, and a quick, high pitched main sound. It was like something you'd hear from a happy person. Not me.

I closed my eyes and went with the notes that were flowing through my mind, the ones that I'd never seen before. I didn't realize how much I'd missed playing the piano.

I stopped, holding one, low note for several seconds. I kept my eyes closed, though, because I could feel the tears beginning to form. If I allowed them to open, I would cry. Not from sadness, but from joy.

"I didn't know that there was going to be a show."

I jumped and toppled backwards off of the bench, hitting my head against the base of the drum kit that sat behind me. Why had I placed everything so close together?

"Good lord, are you alright?" Sirius yelped, jumping from the door to where I was laying. He offered his hand, and I took it gratefully.

The moment his hand touched mine, a sort of zing went through my body and enveloped itself in my stomach. "I'm fine," I mumbled, standing up.

"Are you sure?" He asked me. "Really, if you're not feeling well I can take you to the hospital wing."

"I'm fine, really." I told him, dusting myself off. "Now, N.E.W.T's are next week, so we should get started."

He nodded and began to look around. "Where are we going to sit?" He tapped the piano and tip-toed through the room, trying not to step on anything. Yet, I still heard one of my drumsticks snap.

"Not in here." I told him, quickly making my way over to him and shoving him towards the door. He went reluctantly, and I must say that he had gained weight. Either that or I'd lost some. Probably the last one. I hadn't been eating quite as much lately, what with all of the drama and stress.

We stepped out of the room and I shut the doors, praying for a library. I only let the breath I was holding out after I'd reopened the doors and saw what laid inside.

The Room of Requirement had repositioned itself. Now, it was a small room, the walls lined with bookshelves. A table sat in the middle of the small room, two chairs on opposing sides of the rectangular top. Stacks of parchment sat there, waiting to be written on with the quills and bottles of ink that sat beside or on top of them.

"That's more like it." I mumbled to myself, stalking into the room and beginning to sort out all of the books on the shelves. They all seemed to be placed according to the Dewey Decimal System.

"Ugh, it's just like the library…" I heard Sirius complain.

"Maybe, but it'll make for a good place to study." I told him, selecting a book about the Hiccoughing Solution. "Let's get to it, shall we?"

He nodded and sat down at one of the chairs. I took the other and set the large book on the table.

"I've never been tutored before, so how does this work?" He asked, leaning forward in his chair.

I stared at him, and finally realized that I had no idea how tutoring worked. The wheels began to turn in my head. "Well, let's start with your homework."

He smiled. "Let's start with that History of Magic essay. I don't understand anything about that stupid Wizard Reveal of 1857."

I nodded and pulled my bag from my shoulder. I'd already started this essay, so teaching him about it wasn't going to be a challenge. I fished my History of Magic textbook out of the leather bag and opened it to the spot that I'd tucked my essay into.

"Well, what are you confused about?"

He blushed. Wait! He blushed? He _blushed_? "What was it?"

I smiled. "It's all about Mellinger Malohov, a wizard, who revealed his nature to an entire village of muggles."

* * *

Two days had passed, and I was starting to see a large improvement in Sirius' learning capabilities. In fact, I was almost beginning to think that he would pass a few of his N.E.W.T's. I could tell that he was more confident with his intelligence as well. Sirius really was smart, he'd just never had to access that before.

I was also impressed with how much he wanted to learn. He'd dedicated an hour of every day to studying and homework. I didn't know that he'd ever worked so hard for something since I'd known him.

Today was Saturday. I'd planned on spending my day with Dumbledore, but all of my plans had changed when Sirius asked me what time to meet him. Dumbledore had understood when I told him I was helping someone, and I almost thought I caught a bit of a smile of recognition on his wrinkling face.

"So, we're set for two hours." Sirius told me as he opened the doors of the Room of Requirement and stepped inside. "I told my mates that I was having a little fun today, if you know what I mean."

I scoffed. "Oh, yes, I understand completely." I mumbled, smirking at the book in my hands. "Wonderful cover up, really."

"Why, thank you." He said, his smile almost lighting the room. "But, enough about me. I've got loads of homework. Missing stuff, of course."

I slammed my book shut and set it aside. "Alright, what have you got for me today?"

"Oh, no, I don't need you quite yet." He pulled his Divination textbook out of his bag and set it on the table. I watched with a smile on my face as he readied himself to begin the essay. I believed that was the essay on tea leaves that we'd done a month ago. Professor Musso had torn him apart for not having that essay done.

"I just wanted to say," I blurted, the silence beginning to bug me. "I'm rather impressed. I never thought you'd actually be doing homework."

He snickered. "Thanks, that really boosts my confidence." He was _definitely_ being sarcastic.

"Oh, you know what I mean." I snickered, kicking my feet up onto the table.

Silence struck again. It was really bugging me. This was the first time that Sirius didn't need my help on his homework, and I was getting really bored. I always finished my homework beforehand so I wouldn't have to do it while I was helping Sirius, today was no different.

"How's Quidditch?" I asked, trying to get rid of the silence.

He sneered. "I got kicked off the team, remember?" He kept his nose pressed to his essay. "Plus, you're breaking rule number three."

"Since when do you care about rules?"

"Since you told me them." He said.

"What's so special about my rules? They're just like the rules that you break every day." I stared at him, anxiously waiting for an answer.

"Your word is law," He mumbled, dipping his quill into the ink well nearest him. "If I didn't follow your rules, I'd end up on all four of the walls _and_ the ceiling."

"Well, I broke the rule this time, so it's fine." I smirked, leaning my head back and staring at the ceiling. Silence again. God, I had to do something about this. "Y'know what, screw rule three. What's going on in Gryffindor?"

He smiled and looked up at me. "Nothing, really. Lots of studying." He told me, setting his quill down. "What about Slytherin?"

"Same. Well, for almost everyone. I, of course, don't need to study." I told him, proudly holding my hand to my chest. "I've been spending my time with Dumbledore. Really, he's the only exciting person I know."

"Excuse me," Sirius said, leaning forward slightly. "I'm _very_ exciting."

"I agree, really I do." I told him. "But I don't know you, remember."

He nodded, a slight frown coming to his tan face. Then, he looked back down at his essay and our conversation was lost. I must say that I missed it. We hadn't had a conversation like that in months. It felt good to hear his voice and the smile behind it.

I stayed quiet, not daring to speak after I'd seen the look of pain on his face. He worked on his essay silently, his quill scratching loudly against his parchment. It wasn't much, but it was sound. As long as there was sound, I could hold onto my sanity.

I sighed and leaned back in my chair, listening intently to the small sound. My chair creaked, and I jumped slightly, but continued to make it do so. Even more sound did me good.

"Would you stop?" He asked me, still staring down at his essay.

"Sorry." I mumbled, setting my chair on all four of its legs again. I bit my lip and began to anxiously look around the small room. The silence was getting to me again.

"How'd you get by?" He suddenly asked. His hand had stopped moving, but he was still staring at his parchment. I wanted to yell a thank you at him, but I held firm.

"What d'you mean?"

He sighed. "Y'know, after I…"

Now I knew what he was talking about, and I didn't really want to answer. He'd seen me after he told me we were over. He knew just how well I "got by."

"I didn't." I told him, glaring at the bookshelf to my left. He seemed to catch the rift in my voice, and anxiously looked up at me. I didn't look at him, though. This was the last thing I wanted to talk to him about.

"Oh, right," He stammered, rubbing the back of his neck and pushing his essay away. "Listen, there's something I've been meaning to tell you. Don't freak out, alright."

I stood and gathered my things. He didn't want me to freak out? Well, then maybe I should just leave.

"Where are you going?" He asked as I pulled my bag over my shoulder and began to step towards the exit.

"I'm leaving, what does it look like?"

"We still have an hour though!" His fingers wrapped around my bicep, and I froze. His hand was just as warm as it had been when we were together. I hated it, but I couldn't pull away.

I sighed and tugged away from him. It was so hard. "No, we're done here." I made my way towards the door again, and I made it a few more feet. However, I soon found my back pressed against the bookshelf.

"Sirius, what the hell-" I began, but I didn't get the entire sentence out before Sirius' lips encased mine. My mind began to race, and my heart began to pump. Yet, they both wanted separate things. My heart told me to go with the flow and see where it leads me, but my mind was screaming for me to run.

Before the battle waging inside me could stop, he'd pulled away. His hands were on my hips, and I could feel my emotions spiraling out of control.

"Sirius, get out." I mumbled, looking down at my feet so he couldn't see my face.

"But, I-"

"Sirius, get out now!" I yelled, pushing him away with a look of fear written on my face. He could get hurt if he didn't leave, and I didn't want him to get hurt.

He saw my face, and immediately knew it was more than anger telling him to leave. So, he nodded and backed away. Quickly, he'd gathered his things and was out the door. He made his way into the hallway, shutting the door as he left.

My hands began to shake and I could feel my eyes swelling slightly. The tears were about to fall, and my heart was still beating rapidly. Everything was going wrong again.

_You don't love him…_ I thought. _You don't love him, you don't love him, you don't love him…_

"That can't be right…" I mumbled to myself, shaking my head violently. "I wouldn't feel like this if I didn't love him."

_He used you, just like all of those other girls…_ My mind yelled at me. In some sense, it was right. But that didn't mean I didn't love him. _He doesn't care what happens to you. He never did…_

"That's not true!" I yelled at myself, grabbing the table and flipping it. I began to hit everything I could, the tears finally running over and falling onto the carpet below my feet. The bookshelves fell, and bindings and pages flew around the room. The lights that hung in the room burst and fell to the ground.

"That's not true…" I mumbled, throwing my back against one of the now bare walls. I slid down it and held my aching knees against my chest. My chest heaved, and the tears flew down my face. I didn't understand why I was crying. After all, I wasn't really a crying sort of girl. I'd even said so once when I was friends with the Marauders. Yet, there I sat, bawling my eyes out. And for what? Sirius?

My head was spinning. I had a decision to make, and I had to make it now.

**A/N: I know I haven't updated in a while. I've been really busy trying to sort out my hectic life. Not only that, but I've got a lot of homework, including a project that could take my B- in Language Arts up to and A. I'm thinking of going on hiatus for a little while, just until this whole ordeal sorts itself out.**

**Anyways, this is sort of the beginning of the end. There's not that many more chapters, and I'm sort of stuck in the middle of a big scene. You can tell how well that's going. Either way, I should be done soon. I know, I don't wanna have to think about that right now either. **

**However, all of my stress is subsided. For I have my handy-dandy IPOD! I love that thing! I can read SHERLOCK HOLMES ON IT! I can also play all sorts of games, and I totally recommend it to any reading, writing, internet, or game fans! **

**R&R  
**


	24. The Big Decision

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, really. Especially not the Room of Requirement. Nor do I own Sirius or Regulus.**

**Sirius Black**

June 1st, 1978

"Sirius, get out." Shane mumbled, her voice wavering slightly. She was looking down, and I couldn't see her face. She must've been really mad at me.

"But, I-"

"Sirius, get out now!" She yelled as she looked up at me. I could finally read her face, and it wasn't anger. It was fear. Fear, and sadness, and anger all mixed up inside one, small person. She was in pain, and I didn't like it one bit.

I took another glance at her face and backed away slowly. I snatched my things from the table and ran out of the room, shutting the door behind me. It faded into the stone, and I stared at that spot on the wall for several moments.

I'd just kissed Shane, and it had felt good. I'd missed those kisses. I'd missed her lips. Hell, I'd just missed her in general. And I missed her again.

Those few hours I'd spent with her, a table between us as our quills scratched against parchment, were the highlights of my year. There may not have been that many words spoken, but that was what made it so brilliant. She hadn't yelled at me, she'd put up with me and all of my stupid questions.

I pulled my bag over my head and began to leave. However, I could hear a few thumps coming from the Room of Requirement. What the hell was Shane doing in there?

I paused and took a step back, pressing my ear against the wall. I could hear thumps still, but that was it, and it was starting to worry me.

I had to get someone to go in there, someone she could trust. She didn't trust me at the moment, so I'd have to find someone else. Dumbledore, perhaps. No, I think she'd need a hug, and hugging Dumbledore would just be weird. Remus? Wait, I'm not supposed to know that they're friends again.

That leaves one more person, and I really didn't want to let him anywhere near her. But, I had to do something. If he was my only option, so be it.

So, I began to run to the courtyard. Regulus was always in the courtyard on Saturdays. Why he hung out there, where all of the teachers spent their afternoons, I'd never know.

Soon, after navigating through the Grand Staircase, I found myself running into the Clock Tower Courtyard. As I'd guessed, Regulus was there with several of his Slytherin friends and classmates. I'd have to be careful if I didn't want my head torn off.

"Regulus!" I yelled, sliding to a stop in front of him. "Shane's in trouble."

He stared up at me with a look of confusion on his face. I guess I'd been to blunt. "Why would you know if Shane was in trouble?" He asked, standing from his place on one of the many stone benches.

"We'll talk about this later," I mumbled, beginning to impatiently tap my fingers against my thigh. "Right now, we need to get to Shane."

He glared at me.

"Please…"

His eyes softened slightly. "Alright, where is she?" He mumbled.

I smiled and nodded. "This way, quickly." I began to run back to the Room of Requirement. Regulus was on my tail, following close behind.

We ran the entire way there, not once slowing down. Regulus never ran anywhere, so him running so hard for Shane made me wonder how he _really_ felt about her. Had he been lying when he said he was just trying to get her in the sack? Did he actually love her?

"Where the bloody hell are we going?" He asked, his loafers making a loud clomping sound on the granite beneath our feet.

"Room of Requirement."

"Why?"

"That's where Shane is!" I yelped, running the last length of corridor and sliding to a stop in front of the Room of Requirement. Everything was quiet, and I was expecting the worst. What if she'd tried to kill herself again? What if she was already dead, and there was nothing I could do to help her?

"Well," He began, beginning to tap his foot impatiently. "Where is she?"

I ignored him and stepped closer to the wall. I stared at it, thinking about her. I needed to see her, I needed to see her. Just thinking her name normally granted me access to our secret library, but not this time.

_I love Shane. Please let me see her… _I thought, taking a shaky breath. I closed my eyes. _Please, please, please. I love you Shane, I love you._

I was so focused on seeing her, I didn't hear the door pushing its way through the stone. It wasn't until the door was fully visible that I opened my eyes. I let a sigh of relief escape my lips as I pushed the door open, and saw something I wasn't expecting.

"Hello, Sirius." Shane smiled at me as she lifted one of the chairs off the ground. "Regulus, what're you doing here?"

I glanced behind me.

Regulus had just walked inside, and was glaring at her with the eyes of the devil. He looked like he wanted to kill her.

"Why the bloody hell does _he_ know where you are?" He yelled, stomping further into the room and pointing at me. "You haven't been spending time with him, have you?"

She stared at him, clearly thinking something through.

"Well? Have you?"

She set her jaw, and I suddenly realized something. This wasn't the Shane I'd lost. This wasn't the Shane I'd gotten to know again. This was a fun, strong, serious new Shane. And I really liked it.

"Actually, yes, I have." She smiled, setting the chair down and standing up tall. "I've been tutoring him, and I've been enjoying it."

He gaped at her.

"Time to choose, Reg," She said, pacing closer. "Me or the hatred that you have for Sirius?"

My eyes went wide, and I watched Shane's eyes closely as she stared at my younger brother. I could tell that she was at least somewhat the same as she had been when I met her because her eyes were shinning again. She had that fire that I loved so much once more, and it warmed me down to the bone.

"You must be joking!" Regulus laughed manically, balling his hands into fists. "You're not worth coming to terms with him! If you would really choose him over me, then you aren't worth shit!"

He stormed out, and I could see Shane smirking out of the corner of my eye. It vanished as I turned to her, though.

"I'm confused…" I mumbled, staring at her intently.

"About what? It's simple, I just ended my friendship with Regulus."

I nodded. "I understand that, but _why_?" I asked, taking a cautious step closer to her. "You two seemed to get along swimmingly."

"That's what I thought when he first offered me his help," She told me. "But, I realized that I was wrong." She pulled one of the chairs out and sat down. "Sit and I'll tell you."

So, I sat. She pulled her chair closer to me and told me how she'd felt after we broke up. She told me about all of the depression and pain she'd dealt with. The more I heard, the more I realized that we'd felt the same exact way. She explained what Regulus told her so she could forget about me, and how well that worked. Note the sarcasm there.

"So, now you know what happened." She mumbled, looking down at her hands, which were now folded in her lap. "There's one last piece of information I think I should share." She sighed and bit her lip. "I just realized something, something I should've seen a long time ago."

Again, she stopped to take a deep breath. She was nervous. About what, I had no clue. She had nothing to be nervous about. She was beautiful, smart, talented, and loyal. Not to mention the devious side she had that guys would fall in love with. Just like I did.

"I think I was hanging out with Regulus because he reminded me of you."

I suddenly felt the blood run from my face. But, it wasn't for the reason most guys' faces would've gone white. They would've gone white because they had either moved on or used the girl as a one night stand. For me, it was nervousness.

I looked back at her. Her head was down, and I could see the sadness in her eyes, which were barely seen between her stands of silky, brown hair. No, it wasn't sadness. It was guilt. She felt guilty because she thought she'd used him.

"Shane, I love you."

The words had come through my lips before I could stop them. I'd wanted to tell her for so long, and now I was afraid that she'd reject me, even though she'd just said she'd missed me in a way. I was afraid that I'd lose her again, before I was holding her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that." I mumbled, trying to recover as I looked away from her. "It just slipped out."

"I love you too, Sirius."

My heart leapt into my throat, and began beating rapidly. I liked it. The way my airways seemed to clog and my eyes watered, it was a good feeling.

I smiled at her, and she smiled back. I watched as a tear fell down her face. It was sweet, in a way. Hopefully, it was a tear of joy.

I raised my hand to her face and wiped the tear away, gently rubbing my rough thumb against her soft cheekbone. Her skin was so smooth. Slowly, we were leaning towards each other. This would be our first _real_ kiss since I'd broken up with her. My hands began to shake and my breathing got shallow, and we finally closed the gap between us.

The kiss started slow and gentle, but it slowly built up to the point where we were having a hard time sitting in our chairs. Her lips were rough, as I bet mine were. This kiss felt different than all of the other kisses I'd had. I didn't know how, I just knew that it did. Maybe I was just out of practice.

I felt something on my lap, and my eyes flashed open. However, that doesn't mean I didn't like the way she was climbing on me. It just surprised me. This wasn't a side of her I'd seen before. Hell, she'd been afraid to _kiss_ me! Plus, if I didn't want her to know how I was… feeling… I had to remove her from my person immediately.

But, I didn't.

I couldn't.

I'd wanted to be able to touch her for so long, and she was now allowing me. I wasn't going to give her up just yet.

So, we went further and further. We were on the floor, and my shirt had been thrown across the room, as had her pants. I knew we were going too far, but I didn't care. All I could think, smell, feel and see was Shane. She seemed to be feeling the same about me.

I loved Shane, so having sex with her wouldn't be wrong, would it? I was expecting that she wanted to do it as well. After all, she had taken off my shirt _and_ her pants. She wanted this, and we were in a secluded area, that's all we needed.

Then, another thought came to mind. Was she a virgin? If not, how many times had she had sex? Who'd taken her virginity? Did she love any of the guys she'd slept with?

"Wait," I mumbled, pushing her away gently, but still keeping her close. I took a few deep breaths, trying to regain myself. Kissing Shane was quite the workout.

"Sirius, I was on a roll." She chuckled playfully, staring me in the eyes.

"Shane, there's a few things we need to talk about before we move on."

"Josh gave me this talk when I was fourteen, Sirius." She giggled, rolling off of me and holding her bare legs to her chest. "I don't _need_ to hear it, but a refresher might be nice."

There was only one word that struck a chord, and that word was also a name. "Who's Josh?"

She recognized the jealousy in my face the minute I asked, and I knew because she began frowning at me. I'd wiped away the beautiful smile again.

"Josh is my best friend, Sirius," She told me, letting go of her legs and crossing them. "I've known him since I was eleven. Don't worry, nothing _happened_ between us."

I smiled. "Well, then I'd very much like to meet him."

She chuckled. "Alright, back on task." She said. "I'm not a virgin, I've slept with a grand total of three guys, and I have no STD's."

I sighed. That was a relief. At least she wasn't like me.

"Alright," I started, getting ready to tell her about my love life. "As you well know, I'm anything but a virgin, I have no STD's as well, and I've slept with…"

She smiled as I trailed off. Honestly, I had no idea how many girls I'd done the deed with. "Alright, I get the point. You've had a lot of practice. But, I would like to know one more thing."

"And what's that?"

The smile was gone again. "Did you love any of them?"

My smile was gone as well. I'd never thought she'd ask me that, and I really didn't know how to answer. I'd never had to.

"Well, it's confusing," I mumbled, rubbing the back of my neck. "There were a few times that I thought I did, but it ended up that I'd accidentally eaten some chocolates mixed with Amortentia."

"Are you really _that_ good in bed?"

I laughed. She always managed to take a really serious and awkward situation and turn it into something humorous. "I think I'll let _you_ be the judge of that." I swung my leg over her so she was beneath me and crashed my lips into hers. She responded immediately.

Soon enough, we were wound and twisted together. Her nails were digging into my back as I went through the standard motions. Every sound she made drove me insane, but that was only one of the factors. She was amazing, and there was nothing that was going to stop me from thinking that. The way her hair sprawled on the carpet, and her lean, strong limbs stretched. I loved it all.

Finally, we both came to a close, and I flopped off of her. I was breathing heavily, and my eyes were slowly beginning to close. I just hoped that she'd sleep here, with me.

"I love you…" I heard her whisper through harsh breaths as she wrapped her arms around my chest and set her head on my shoulder.

"I love you, too."

**A/N: I know, I know, a little racy. Don't get all up on me, alright. This was the only time I'll ever talk about them doing it ever again in this story. Possibly never again at all, because I sucked at it. Just be happy I didn't go into detail. **

**Anyways, I know this sort of breaks the hiatus, and I have good reason for that. Miraculously, right after I set the hiatus date, my homework load shifted and I had a lot of free time. That, and I suddenly felt like writing again. I've been writing everyday when I get home and I even write excerpts at school. All in all, I'm back in the motion, baby. However, I still won't be updating all that often. I still have homework almost every night, plus projects, studying, basketball and friends.**

**And about the hiatus, thank you to all of my readers that supported the decision.** **I was afraid that I was going to lose a lot of you when I set the date, and most of you stayed with me, and I even got a few reviews. Not exactly the kind of reviews I'd like to get (hint hint) but I love all of those that did. CuteLikeMomiji and Christina-Lupin, thank you so much for all of the support and help. I really appreciate it.**

**Last but not least, a little update. I'm nearing the end of the story, and everything's building up in my mind. And I'm thinking about mentioning Regulus one last time, just as a closer for his time with Shane. And do you remember Josh from the very first chapter? Well, he's coming back, as well as Shane's parents. **

**I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!**

**R&R  
**


	25. Forgivness and Fights

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hogwarts, or N.E.W.T's. I don't own the Marauders, either. I really wish I did. That would be awesome. At least I own Shane. That's not so bad… right?**

**Shane Spencer**

June 2nd, 1978

I didn't know how to explain that morning. It was the first morning that I'd ever woken up in Sirius' arms. It was the first time I'd been able to watch him sleep. It was the first time he'd helped me get dressed. And, to tell you the truth, I loved it all.

"I'm hungry…" Sirius yawned, pulling his arms above his head as I grabbed his shirt from the floor.

"Doesn't surprise me." I mumbled, tossing it at him.

He laughed. "What's that supposed to mean? Are you calling me fat?" He pulled his shirt over his hand and wrapped his strong, tree-trunk-like arm around my shoulders.

"No," I told him, looking back over my shoulder. "It's just that you're a seventeen year old boy."

"So?"

I rolled my eyes. "Never mind," I shouldered him and ran to the door. "Race you to the Great Hall." I didn't even give him a choice. I just started to run. However, I knew I wouldn't get very far before he caught me. His legs were longer and more powerful, it was just nature.

As I ran, I kept a careful eye on Sirius. He was trailing behind quite a bit. Either he was really tired, or he was letting me win. Both were very, very possible answers.

"C'mon, Sirius," I groaned, almost yelling so he could hear. "Don't cut me any slack!"

I heard him laughing, and I had to glance over my shoulder to watch. I loved watching him laugh. He was getting closer now, and I really had to book it. So I did.

My short legs carried me quickly, but he caught up just as soon as I thought he would. He was only five feet behind me when I burst through the doors of the Great Hall. Of course, everyone had to look my way. Things got worse, though. Sirius, being the idiot he was, ran in and wrapped his arms around me.

"Caught you!" He yelped, a large smile on his face.

I elbowed him as I stared at all of the people watching us. I didn't really care about anyone, except for three specific people. The first was Regulus, who was most likely ready to tear Sirius' head off. The next was Lily, and the last was James.

"Whoops…" I heard him mumble as he removed his arms from my person. "That wasn't the smartest move, huh?"

I nodded and watched James stand up. He glared at me, and I tried to swallow the lump that was forming in my throat. However, when I swallowed that one, another formed. And another. And another.

"C'mon, I have a feeling he's going to want to talk to us," Sirius whispered in my ear, grabbing my hand and tugging at it. However, his grey eyes never moved from James. "And, trust me, it'll be easier without all of the people."

I nodded and began to back out of the room as Sirius tugged me away. I kept my eyes locked on James'. Finally, I knew what I'd done to the Marauders. All of my pain had been nothing compared to how they were feeling.

I let my feet push me past the large, wooden doors and into the small hallway. My hands started to shake as Sirius led me out to the Entrance Hall. I was nervous, and I never got nervous.

"Calm down, Shane." Sirius mumbled, enveloping me in his arms. "I'll get him to see sense. And, once I do, he'll welcome you back with open arms. I promise."

These words barely registered in my mind, as it was going into overload. Sirius couldn't promise such a bogus thing. He wished he could, but he couldn't. That was all up to James.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" My breath hitched in my lungs, and I struggled to turn around and face him.

As always, he stood tall. His hazel eyes were hard, and his jaw was set. The way he folded his arms scared me. He was being protective. Did he think I'd hurt Sirius? Wait, did he think I'd hurt Lily? Or Remus or Peter? Personally, I was hoping that I was wrong.

"Where the hell were you last night?" His gaze was directed at Sirius, who gently pushed me behind himself as if to protect me.

"I was busy." He told James, keeping his hand on my arm.

"With her, were you?" James nodded towards me stiffly. "I thought _you_ broke up with _her_? Did she beg to have you back?"

"Yes, and no." Sirius answered, keeping his temper under control, but just barely. "Actually, _I_ begged _her_ to give me another chance."

James' jaw tightened, if that was possible. His eyes seemed to burn holes in Sirius, and it was making me nervous. I didn't want to ruin their friendship. I never had. That's why I didn't hang out with any of them after Sirius and I broke up.

"Fine," James muttered, keeping the hidden glare on his face. "Have fun with your slut…"

_And snap!_ Sirius' control disappeared, and he lunged at James. I watched as his fist headed for James' face. Of course, James fought back. This was the last thing I wanted, and much less what I needed.

"Would you two stop it?" I yelled, shoving myself in between them and pushing them apart. James jumped away at my touch, but Sirius still pushed against me. I'd never seen him this mad. I'd never seen him this mad at _James_.

"He just called you a slut, and you're standing up for him?" Sirius growled at me.

"I'll do whatever it takes to earn his forgiveness. It'll make life a hell of a lot easier for you too." I growled back, a fierce look in my eyes. I turned to James. "I know I haven't been the nicest person lately, but you need to know that I'm sorry."

He sneered, turned around, and walked back into the Great Hall. It disappointed me a little bit, but I wasn't surprised. If I was him, I wouldn't forgive me either.

"Well, that did a whole lot of good." Sirius growled from behind me. He was still angry, and there were very few ways to calm him down.

"C'mon, let's go for a walk."

He stumbled as I grabbed his hand and pulled him after me. We walked through the large, oak doors and into the courtyard. Seeing as it was early in the morning, the sun was just beginning to rise and the golden light seeped through the trees of the Forbidden Forest.

"Shane, where are we going?"

I ignored him and kept walking. He always thought there had to be a destination. For once, he should enjoy the journey.

"Shane?"

My thoughts moved to James. I'd never seen him act that way towards Sirius, and I really wish I never did again. It scared me to know that I had the power to rip apart their friendship.

"Shane?"

"What?" I flashed my eyes to Sirius, who'd been staring at me since we left the castle.

His eyes were soft, and he didn't seem mad anymore. However, I knew he could see that I was upset.

"He'll come around." He mumbled, pulling me into a tight hug. I relished the warmth, and the smell. It was nice to know that there was at least one person who would stick with me. I didn't want to let go of him ever again.

"Shane!"

I knew that voice.

"Lily!" I yelped as I gently ripped myself from Sirius' arms. "Lily, Lily, Lily!"

I ran towards her as she did the same to me. When we met in the middle, we enveloped each other in a monumental hug. I'd missed her so much.

"You and Sirius are back together, right? You're moving back into the Gryffindor Tower?" She asked as she gently pushed me away and smiled at me. "It's been so lonely and boring without you."

I smiled at her. "Lily, I think I should hold off on that for a little while," I told her. "I'd rather not wake up every morning and have to deal with James' attitude."

She nodded. "Completely understandable. I had to deal with the opposite thing for _years_, and I can't put you through anything that could put you in danger."

"She wouldn't be in _danger_," Sirius interrupted, stepping up behind me. "She'd have both me _and _Remus on her side."

Lily snorted. "Yes, she'd be _so_ safe." I'd always loved her hatred towards Sirius, and her tacky sense of sarcasm.

I sighed. "C'mon, let's head to Divination." I smiled as Sirius offered me his arm like we were walking down the aisle. I gratefully took it with a curtsy and we began to walk.

All the way through the castle, Lily told me about her newfound relationship with James. Apparently they were getting along swimmingly, and they were already planning a marriage. She also asked me to be her Maid of Honor. I didn't think James would like that.

* * *

Exams. That's all that was happening this week. Exams, exams and, oh, more exams. At least I got to spend my evenings with the Marauders. Well, not the Marauders, but everyone other than James. Remus understood, Peter loved me almost as much as Sirius did, Sirius was my boyfriend, and James kept pushing me away.

Other than James, all of the Gryffindors had forgiven me for my rude and nasty behavior towards them. Mary, Sam and Alice had all told me to come back to the dorm before the term was up so we could talk. The boys (Gryffindor boys, that is) told me that, if Sirius ever had second thoughts again, that I could always go to _them_ for comfort. Sirius had quickly pulled me away from them.

Today, we had our History of Magic and Transfiguration exams. I had a feeling I was going to do fairly well on both of them. Sirius, however, had a different idea of how his own exams were going to go.

"Maybe I should just skip today. Y'know, sleep all day and pretend I have a fever or something." He mumbled as we walked down the hall to our first class.

"Sirius, you're going to do _fine_." I told him, planting a gentle kiss on his cheek. "You _do_ have the best tutor to ever walk these halls."

His brow furrowed and a confused look framed his face. "But you're my tutor, not Moony."

I smacked him, and he smiled. He was always smiling now.

"You know that I was just joking, you're the most amazing, smart, beautiful person I know."

"Oh my god, you actually know people _other_ than me?" I asked, my mouth hanging agape. "And stop trying to get in my bed, it's not working."

"Ah, but I've already been in your bed," He pointed out, wrapping his arm around my waist. "Several, several times."

"Sirius, just _sleeping_ in my bed doesn't count."

"Touché."

"Oi, lovebirds, you're sort of freaking me out here!" I looked back over my shoulder at Remus and cracked a smile.

"Let's make love, Sirius."

"Augh, Shane!"

I started laughing, and Sirius was right behind me. Remus was shaking his head violently, obviously trying to rid himself of those disturbing mental images. Peter had begun staring at my chest, and I quickly made sure to keep a firm hold of Sirius' hand.

"Really, you two, save it for the bedroom!"

"You'll hear it there as well, Moony."

"I meant _Shane's_ bedroom, not our dormitory!"

"Yeah, so did I."

I chuckled. "We're not _that_ loud, Sirius."

"Have you _heard_ yourself?" He asked, an amused smile on his face. "You're like a whale giving birth to twins!"

"You're one to talk, Sir Grunts-A-Lot."

"Alright, off this subject!" Remus yelled over us, separating our bodies and standing between us. "Can we get back to talking about the tests, please?"

I chuckled, and nodded. "I have a feeling we're all going to do just fine." I said, a proud smile held on my face. "Well, save for Pete."

"Hey!" Peter squeaked from behind me, a frown on his round face. "I've studied hard, I'll do just as good as you!"

"I was just kidding, Peter," I chuckled. "But, I don't think you'll do quite as well as me."

"Oh, Shane," Sirius sighed, staring at me with that look in his eyes. Y'know, the one that tells you he's doing something devious. "It all depends on who you sit next to."

"Sirius Pollux Black, you are _not_ cheating on this test!" I yelled, a frown framing my face. "You can do it on your own, so why cheat?"

"I was kidding, Shane," He mumbled, holding a hand up in a defensive position. "Really, can't you take a joke?"

"Yes, I can, but that wasn't a joke. I know you too well to let your lies slide past like that." I told him, placing my hands on my hips and trying to make myself look bigger. Like a porcupine being attacked by a predator.

He rolled his eyes. "You sound like a mother," He sighed. "But, because I love you, I won't cheat on the test."

I nodded in satisfaction.

"However, when I fail, it's on your head."

I smiled. "I think I can live with that." I leaned over and kissed his cheek, which was covered in morning stubble. This action earned me another groan from Remus, and a stalker-ish stare from Peter.

**A/N: I'm so happy. I'm finally back into the groove of writing. Not only that, but I'm probably going to extend the story by a couple of chapters. Add in a little bit of Josh drama, just like the Regulus drama. Maybe even a little bit of Remus drama, but I wouldn't count on that. **

**Anyways, school's going good. I have this big Greek God project due in a week, and I'm putting it off. I'm not happy about it, but oh well. I get to go tubing next week too, so that should be fun. Being as happy as I've been recently, I'm planning on getting the story back to the cheery, playful story it was when I started. I feel like it's gotten just a little too serious. Ha, see what I did there. I know, way overused. **

**I hope you all enjoyed, I know I had fun writing it. Reviews would be loved and read with tears of joy in my eyes. They always are. **

**R&R  
**


	26. A Secret Society

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Harry Potter, sadly. All I own is Shane Spencer and the following events.**

**Sirius Black**

June 12th, 1978

I was on my stomach, my eyes closed and my heart beat loud and clear against the white sheets beneath me. My breathing was slow and calm, as it always was when I woke up in Shane's room. However, one key component to this scene was missing.

Shane wasn't laying beside me.

My jaw pulled my lips apart to let a large yawn slide out as I sat up. I pulled my bare arms above my head and tugged, trying to get the muscles that were there to feel normal. Then, I began to look around.

"Shane?" I asked, looking for the familiar mop of brown hair.

There was no response.

"Shane, where the bloody hell are you?"

Again, no answer. I was curious as to where she was now. She was always there when I woke up, and she always greeted me with a warm "good morning" and a kiss.

I didn't worry too much. Shane was a smart girl. I was guessing she was just at breakfast, waiting for her exam results.

Exam results. God, I was toast. Maybe Shane would forget to get them from McGonagall for me and I wouldn't have to see. Even better, if McGonagall misplaced my results and I had to retake the tests.

I groaned and fell backwards, grabbing Shane's pillow and covering my face with it. It smelled like her. I was always up for smelling anything that smelled like Shane.

A debate began wagging in my head. Should I get up and face my fears, or drown in them while sleep consumes me? I preferred the last one, but the first one ended being the most responsible and (probably) the decision that Shane would _want_ to get out of me.

So, I rolled out of bed and rubbed the morning stubble on my chin. Shane told me she liked my morning stubble, so I left it most mornings. Today needed to be one of those mornings, so I didn't shave. Instead, I found my slacks and shirt and dressed quickly. My jumper slid over my head as I grabbed my robes from the back of Shane's desk chair. Then, I was out the door.

As I stepped onto the Grand Staircase, I heard giggling. Giggling always meant trouble, unless it was Shane. Then it was _trouble_, if you catch my drift.

"You're just the entire package, aren't you Sirius?" It was Melinda Gregstone. Melinda was a tall, lean, busty girl from Ravenclaw, and President of the Sirius Black Fan Club. I'd shagged her once or twice, but she seemed to think that one night every few years was good enough and she just kept coming back for more.

"No, actually, I'm not." I mumbled, trying to get past her and her gang without getting caught in their boo-eyes. I meant eyes. However, I knew that was a false hope.

"Of course you are," She moaned, grabbing my shirt and pulling me towards her. "You're just so modest."

"No, really, I'm not."

"Let's go back to my dorm, Sirius," Suddenly, I found her hand on my waistband, and my blood started pumping. "We can have some… fun…"

"Girlfriend!" I yelped, jumping out of her grasp. I found my feet carrying me quickly past the rest of the girls and down the staircase. I could hear their heels on the granite floor, running after me. All I had to do was get to the Great Hall and sit next to Shane, and then they'd know I wasn't available.

"Come back here, Sirius!" Melinda yelled as I turned a corner. I looked over my shoulder to see how far behind they were, which required some decent slowing down.

"Get in here!"

Suddenly, I found myself being pulled into a broom cupboard by my collar. However, I knew the small, soft hands and the voice that went with them.

"Shane, what are you doing in a broom cupboard?" I asked, staring at the black space in front of me.

"Be quiet, you idiot!" She whispered harshly.

I was silent, listening to the sound of heels and giggling girls pass the cupboard, the sound fading into the corridor after a few moments. However, Shane insisted that we be quiet for a few minutes after the sounds disappeared.

"Shane, can I talk now?"

"Oh, sorry," She mumbled, and I could tell there was a smile on her face. "It's just, I think that's the first time I've ever been around you and there was _silence_."

I rolled my eyes. "My curiosity's about to burst. So, tell me, what are you doing in a broom cupboard all by yourself?"

She scoffed. "Don't get any crazy ideas," She groaned as her shoulder (at least that's what I thought it was) bumped against my chest. "_Lumos!_" Now, there was a bright light in my face. "I was walking back to my room to get you and I heard heels and giggles, then your name. Obviously, that meant trouble. This was the simplest thing I could come up with." She shrugged.

"Wonderful, thank you." I told her. "Now, can we get out of here? I love being pressed up against you and all, but I'm really hungry."

She nodded and her wand light went out. Then I heard her feet shuffle against the floor, and the door open with a creak. Light flooded the room, and I had to squint before I stepped outside.

"Oh, I got your grades from Professor McGonagall." Shane smiled as she reached inside her robes.

"And the nightmare becomes reality…" I mumbled, watching as she pulled a piece of parchment out with the official black writing of Hogwarts printed across it. However, there was emerald green scribbled across the bottom. I'd never seen that on a report card before.

"Take a look at your grades first!" She yelped as she shoved the parchment into my hands.

I fearfully focused my eyes one the black letters printed down the side of the parchment, but the fear faded as I saw the large, black letters. There were five O's, two E's and an A. All of these were passing grades, or far better.

"Only _one_ A?" I asked myself.

Shane set her small hand on my shoulder. "I told you you'd do just fine." She said. "Now, read the bottom."

I nodded and looked at the emerald green scribbles, beginning to read what looked like a handwritten note.

Mr. Sirius Black,

As an honor student and a friend to my dear Shane, you know that the threat known as Voldemort is growing ever stronger. I, along with several colleagues and friends, am trying to bring him to his defeat immediately. Therefore, I've created a secret society that will make attempts at our dream of bringing Voldemort's reign of terror to an end. Please accompany Shane, Mr. Potter, Ms. Evans, Mr. Lupin, and Mr. Pettigrew to my office at a time convenient for all of you to receive further information.

Thank you,

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore

"A secret society?" I asked Shane, glancing up at her with a look on my face that most likely screamed amusement.

"Don't ask me," She said, raising her hands in defense. "I didn't know about it until _I_ got _my_ grades."

"So he didn't tell you?" I asked. "I thought he told you everything. You're like his diary or something and he doesn't tell you about a _secret society_?"

She shrugged, and the bell that told us breakfast was over rang loud and clear. In other words, I wasn't going to eat until lunch, which was several hours away. Just the thought of it made my stomach grumble.

Shane chuckled. "Hungry?"

I nodded and poked my stomach, trying to act cute. Shane always gave me what I wanted when I was cute.

She chuckled again and grabbed my hand. "It's just History of Magic, and all Professor Binns is going to do is review the test questions. We can skip our first lesson."

I cheered and began running towards the kitchens.

* * *

Awkward. That was the only way to describe my current situation. That's how you would describe being stuck in between your best friend and girlfriend who hate each other. That was an exaggeration, only one hated the other.

It was the six of us. Shane, Peter, Remus, Evans, James and me. We were going to visit Dumbledore about the notes at the bottom of our report cards. Apparently, the other five had the same thing printed on theirs.

So, there I stood as a wall between Shane and James. They didn't talk, and they didn't dare to look at each other. They just looked head on, a stony look in their eyes. It was unsettling. I didn't like it. Maybe I could get Dumbledore to help.

I moved my eyes to Shane. She obviously felt me looking at her and glanced back at me. I could tell that she wanted me to hold her, even if it was just her hand. She didn't like the silence that all of the awkwardness was creating. I wanted to grab her, but that would make things even tenser between her and James.

"Alright, this silence is getting to me." Evans spoke up, stepping between me and James. "I never did get the chance to see your report card, James."

Now I was confused. The Marauders always sat together, and I'm sure that Evans would've joined the group by now. Why wouldn't she have seen his report card?

I pulled Shane back a bit, letting Moony and Wormtail step past us to set a bit of a barrier between the two couples of our group. "What does she mean? Why didn't she get to see his report card when he got it?" I asked Shane, my hand gently gripping her arm.

Shane gulped and stared at me. "He didn't see a reason to sit with us that day since you were still asleep. He asked Lily to sit with him somewhere else, but she sat with me and the other two instead." She answered, a look of guilt coming to her face.

"Oh…" I mumbled, sliding my hand down her arm and grabbing her hand. Her hand squeezed mine, and we made our way through the short hallway that led to the Professor's office.

When we got there (being the last of our group) the doors were open and the other four were already inside. Shane's grip on my hand loosened as we stepped inside. This must've been a comforting room to her. I guess it made sense, since she spent more time here than she had anywhere else in the castle.

"Ah, Shane!" Dumbledore exclaimed, standing from his seat behind the desk at the far end of the room. "And Mr. Black, as well. We can begin now!"

The old man seemed more than overjoyed that we'd finally arrived. I didn't know whether to take that as a good or bad thing.

"Shane, if I could speak to you and Mr. Black alone before your entire group, please?" He asked Shane, smiling at her with his half moon glasses sliding down his nose.

"Of course, Professor." She mumbled, looking to the other four and nodding towards the door. They obliged and made their way back into the hallway. "Now, what is it you need from us?"

Dumbledore smiled and gestured to the chairs in front of his desk, which Shane began to pull me towards.

"I don't need anything from you my dear, I just have a few questions for you and… Mr. Black." The old man said as we sat down. I sank into the armchair almost immediately and knew that I looked silly compared to Shane, who was sitting tall with her hands on her knees.

"Questions, sir?" She asked, leaning forward even further in her seat.

He nodded, smiling at her. "I've heard some gossip about the two of you," This made me glance at her with anxious eyes. Was he talking about our many times together in her bed? "And it sounds as if you two are getting rather serious." I gulped. "Do you two have any plans for after Hogwarts?"

I sighed, and decided to get in the conversation. "Not yet, but I was planning on asking her about it soon."

"Then, might I make a suggestion?" Dumbledore walked around to the front of his desk and perched himself on its surface. "I know some people very high up in the muggle world, and I would happily ask them for a favor. A flat, perhaps?"

"Professor, that's very kind-" Shane started, but I interrupted. I wasn't letting some old codger buy my girlfriend and I a flat. You never knew what sort of sick things he might do in his free time.

"I can afford a flat," I said, leaning forward as Shane had been doing only a few moments before. "Of course, if Shane approves."

She nodded. "Of course I do, I was planning on moving in with you even if you _didn't_ want me to."

I heard Dumbledore chuckle. "Wonderful," He mumbled, standing and motioning for us to do so as well. "Let's see, there's six of you, so four more chairs should be correct." As soon as I was out of my chair, I saw another slide from its place and over one spot. There were now four chairs. They multiplied again, and there were six.

"Good Lord, I almost forgot," Dumbledore slapped his hand against his forehead and looked at me. "Mr. Black, if you would, tell Mr. Potter to come in as you join your friends outside."

I glanced at Shane, and then nodded and proceeded to the large, oak doors. As I opened them and stepped into the hallway, I found my friends sitting on the ground, conversing about the previous Quidditch season.

"Prongs, Dumbledore wants to see you." I said, staring at James with no emotion in my eyes. I was still a little angry at him for calling Shane so many bad things.

Reluctantly, he stood, letting go of Evans' hand and pacing into the room with a sour look on his face. Personally, I was a little afraid of what was going to happen in there.

"What's going on in the old man's mind?" I asked, more to myself than the others.

**A/N: It's almost been two weeks since my last update! Wow! Really, I didn't mean for it to stretch so much, but I've been struggling again. However, I have this Friday along with all of next week off. Thank God for Spring Break! That, and basketball ends this weekend! So much at one time! **

**Alright, I've been lacking some of my necessary standards, and I apologize. I really have been wanting to write lately, but I'm so out of practice after not writing for such a long period of time. I feel like I've been slacking when it comes to extending the story and sharing the views of the characters. I'm hoping that the next few chapter will help me fix all of that. **

**Now, who watched the Oscars last night? I did, and I got really upset when Iron Man 2 didn't win any awards whatsoever. I think it should've, but that's just me. You know, Robert Downey Jr. addict right here. My aunt even said so on Facebook! And has anyone heard of that movie the King's Speech before the Oscars? **

**One last thing. You know that website I made for this story that I talked about a while ago? About this story? Well, I posted some visuals there about upcoming chapters (or chapter, I should say). It includes Shane's parents, and her house in Malibu. Please, take a look. I think you'll all develop (or already have) a crush on her dad. He _is_ rather attractive.**

**Jeez, I just keep adding onto this. This is the last thing, I promise. I haven't been getting all of the reviews I'd like to have. What I have right now is awesome, and I think it's amazing that the three of you take time out of your week to comment on my writing. I should be happy with what I've got, but I'm not. Although I'm not going to stop posting, I'd really like to hear from more of you. Even negative comments are appreciated in some shape or form. So, I know it's a lot to ask, but please review. **

**Love you all so much! **

**R&R  
**


	27. The Order of the Phoenix

**Disclaimer: I don't own Dumbledore, the Marauders, or the Order of the Phoenix. I don't even own the events about to occur! Just kidding, these are all original ideas, other than J.K. Rowling's stuff. Thank you!**

**Shane Spencer**

June 13th, 1978

I watched Sirius pace to the doors, pull them open, and step outside. Why did Dumbledore want him to send James in? He wasn't going to get anything out of him. I'd tried, Sirius had tried, Remus had tried, hell even Lily'd tried, but none of us could get him to do anything concerning Sirius and I as a couple.

My eyes flashed back to Dumbledore as James stepped inside. This was going to be an _extremely_ awkward conversation.

"What is it, Professor?" He asked, ignoring me as he came and stood beside me.

Dumbledore stared accusingly at him. "Mr. Potter, I'd like to talk to you about your recent behavior towards Shane."

"Professor, really, you don't need to-"

"Shane, please," He interrupted me, his eyes barely shifting to me as he held his hand up to silence me. "Mr. Potter?"

I sighed and finally looked at James. His jaw was set and his eyes were cold. "I have nothing to say." He growled through clenched teeth.

I flinched at his words. I'd heard him say things like that before, but never with such a bite. It almost physically hurt to hear him snap like that.

"Mr. Potter, did you ever consider that Shane feels sorry?" Dumbledore asked.

I glanced back at the old man, and then stared at James again. His face remained stony and furious, and I was starting to get discouraged. If anyone could make James see sense, it would be Dumbledore. And, as far as things had gone by then, I doubted Dumbledore would be able to win this one.

"Yes, actually, I did."

My eyes widened.

"It doesn't change anything."

"How would you feel if Lily left you for no reason at all, James?" I asked, glaring at him. "You'd feel like shit, too! Not only that, but you have to keep in mind that you fought back!" By now, I was on my feet and my voice was raised. "You're such a hypocrite!"

For the first time in months, James was looking at me without a glare. Instead, he looked shocked. Perhaps that was why he was rocking back on his heels. Then he opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out.

"I…" He mumbled, still looking as if he was unable to compose himself. He took a step back and sighed. "I hadn't realized…"

"What?" I asked, the anger still burning in my throat. "That you were just as bad as I was?"

"I'm sorry-"

"Oh, now you're sorry?" I stomped my foot down on the ground and flared my nostrils. I was really angry now. "After weeks of trying to suck up to you, all I get is an "I'm sorry?" That's it?"

"What do you expect me to say? That I regret everything I said and did, because I don't."

"No, but I did expect more of an apology!"

"Too bad, 'cause you're not going to get one!"

"I could say the same to you!"

Suddenly, we were quiet. His glasses were sliding down his nose now, and his hair was even messier than normal. Our chests were heaving, and neither of us were aware that Dumbledore was smiling at the little war we'd started.

Suddenly, I broke down and flung my arms around his neck. I was aware that his arms were wrapped strongly around my waist. Perhaps he'd missed me just as much as I'd missed him.

"Friends?" He asked, keeping his strong hold on my small frame.

I nodded into his broad shoulder. "Definitely."

The hug started to feel awkward, and I removed myself from his person. I smiled over at Dumbledore, the smirk of accomplishment as plain on his face as the many wrinkles. "Thank you." I said.

He nodded. "Would you let the others in, please?" He asked. "I believe it's due time that we got down to the point of this little meeting."

I nodded back and ran to the door. I pulled it open quickly, and someone fell at my feet. A single glance, and my mind had registered Sirius' black hair and grey eyes.

"Guess there's no need to fill you in…" I mumbled, helping him off the floor.

"So you two _are_ friends again, right?" Lily piped, jumping into the room after Sirius was on his feet again.

"Nor anyone else, then?" I asked, a glare on my face as I looked at the man I loved.

"Sorry, but I was curious." He mumbled, his face turning a light shade of pink.

I grabbed Sirius' hand and pulled him into the room, the other three following close behind. I sat in the chair straight across from Dumbledore, Sirius to my right and James to my left. The other just sort of sat down wherever. Remus, though, decided to stand behind me.

"Please, Professor," I said, a small smile lingering on my face. "We're all curious as to what this is about."

Dumbledore nodded and stood up. He folded his hands behind his back and smiled at us. "The society I've informed you of is called the Order of the Phoenix. I've already recruited about six people, and now I'm looking for six more."

"You're asking _us_ to join this Order of the Phoenix?" Remus asked from behind me. I looked back at him. "Why? We're just a bunch of reckless seventh years."

Dumbledore chuckled. "True, but you're all dedicated to Shane, I'm correct aren't I?"

I heard grunts from all of the guys, and Lily nodded.

"And you're all willing to give your life for hers?"

My eyes went wide as I heard that sentence, and I realized just how serious this whole ordeal was. Dumbledore was asking my friends to practically die for me. However, my eyes went even wider because all of them nodded without hesitation. It scared me the most the Sirius nodded, and with such a passion in his eyes. He would die for me without a single thought running through his head, and I didn't know whether to thank him or yell at him.

"Lord Voldemort is looking for Shane desperately. He knows what she is, and he wants to use it against us." Dumbledore's voice barely registered in my mind. I was too busy thinking about my friends to listen. "All of us."

"So this is a group to protect Shane?" Sirius asked, subtly taking my hand.

"Not entirely," Dumbledore started again. "It's a group that's going to try and bring Voldemort crashing to the ground. It's the only solid way to keep Shane and everyone else safe."

"I'm in." I mumbled. "Whether it's to protect me or not, you're going to need help from things other than people."

Dumbledore smiled. "I wasn't expecting anything less."

"If Shane's in, I'm in." Sirius said, glancing at me.

"Same for me." Remus said proudly.

"I want to join too!" Lily's petite voice rang through the room.

"Oh no you won't," James piped up, raising himself to his feet. "It's too dangerous for you."

"James, I know more spells than you and Peter put together, I'm smaller, and most likely healthier. I'm joining whether or not you like it." Lily spoke with confidence as she stood up. Then, she looked back to Dumbledore. "I'll join."

James glared at her for a few moments, and then looked to Dumbledore with a sour look on his boyish face. "I'll join as well."

"What about you, Mr. Pettigrew?" Dumbledore asked, looking at Peter, who'd sat in the chair furthest to my right.

"C'mon, Pete," I said, leaning forward and smiling at him. "It'll be fun, in a really sick and twisted way."

He stared at me, a small smile developing on his round face. Then he nodded. "Alright,"

I smiled and stood up. "Now, is that it or do you need us to do something else?" I asked, happily pushing my hands into my pockets and looking to Dumbledore.

"That's all, thank you." Dumbledore stood and held his hand out to me. I'd never, not once in the year and a half I'd known him, shaken his hand.

I smiled again and grasped the frail hand in front of me.

* * *

Sirius and I were alone in the common room. It was late, far after curfew, so we knew we wouldn't be bothered. His strong arms wrapped around my waist as I sat in his lap, his chin on my shoulder. We didn't say anything, we just sat there and stared at the hearth.

There were only a few more days left in Hogwarts, and I could already feel it tugging at my heartstrings. Thinking that I'd never come back to this castle was pure torture. It was my home, and where everything important to me had happened. Leaving just seemed like an impossible task.

Maybe I could be a teacher here. I'd be able to spend the day at the school, and then go back to the flat Sirius and I were going to buy when the day was over.

"Shane, there's something we need to talk about."

I sighed. "What is it?" I could already tell this wasn't going to be a conversation I'd enjoy.

"We're going to need a place to stay until we've found a flat we like…"

"And?"

He took a deep breath. "And I was thinking," His hold on me got a little tighter. "Maybe we should stay with your parents for a while."

A sudden wind of fury swept into my mind, but I wasn't exactly angry at Sirius. I was angry at the mention of my parents. "No, absolutely not." I mumbled, trying to control my temper.

"Why not? I think you have a chance to fix your relationship with them, unlike me with my parents." He said, quickly wrapping one of his arms around my elbows, which had previously been lying across his arms.

"Sirius, no means no." My voice was hard.

"I'm not going to let this topic go so easily," He mumbled in my ear. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and I'd prefer that, when we do have children, they have at least one grandparent that won't treat them like mutts."

I was about to throw back a cleaver retort, but it hitched in my throat as his words finally registered in my mind. Had he just said children? I could've sworn he'd said… But he couldn't have. He's Sirius Black. He wouldn't want to be tied down by a family.

"Shane, for the first time ever I _want_ my girlfriend to have a father that'll protect her from me." His voice was little but a whisper now, and I could tell that he'd done some serious thinking about this.

I took a deep breath and pulled my arm out from beneath his. I rubbed my left temple, and then looked back at him. "We can give it a go, but I'm not promising anything."

He smiled and kissed my temple. "That's my girl."

"Whatever…" I leaned back against his chest and stared into the fire again. "You're just lucky your sob story worked."

* * *

All the other girls were talking, but I was busy admiring the red drapes with gold embroidering that hung around my bed. I'd never noticed them before, but now they seemed so important. Everything seemed important right now. The rug at the foot of my bed, the window I'd looked past millions of times, even the chandelier that hung from the ceiling didn't go unnoticed.

"James and I found this gorgeous cottage in Godric's Hollow, we're moving in as soon as we leave." Lily said as she packed her trunk.

"That's wonderful Lily!" Sam jumped with glee, excited to be talking about boys. A few months ago, she's started going out with a boy from Ravenclaw, and she always jumped at the chance to mention him. "Ed and I are going to live with my parents for a while." That's right, his name was Edmund. "Shane, are you and Sirius planning on moving in together?"

I growled. "He insisted that we ask my parents if we could stay with them for a while." I snapped, my hands clenching around the T-shirt I had in my hands.

"I thought you hated- I mean, didn't like your parents." Lily said, tossing a few books into her trunk.

"I don't, but Sirius obviously wants to meet them." I groaned, throwing myself onto my bed. "I mean, he said he _wanted our children to have grandparents that won't treat them like dirt_. We all know how Sirius feels about _family_. And then he tried to play guilty by saying he wanted me to have a father that would protect me from him."

Now I was just droning on and on. The girls all pretended to listen to my problems, but their attention was focused on their own things. The only one really listening was Sam.

"Girls, get down here!" My complaints about Sirius were interrupted as James' voice echoed through the dormitory.

"Oh boy, plural," I mumbled, dropping the last of my things in my trunk. "He wants you and me, Lils."

Lily walked over, grabbed my arm and pulled me to the door. "Your boyfriend's probably down there, too, so you're going to be pleasant."

I groaned and let her pull me down the stairs. I literally tripped after her, and crashed hard into Sirius' broad chest when we finally made it to the landing. His arms wrapped around me, and I was thankful that he caught me. I'd hit the table down there _way_ too many times.

"Thanks," I mumbled, pushing him away with more force than I'd intended.

He groaned. "What'd I do now?" Instead of asking me (he now knew that didn't work), he looked to Lily.

Lily sighed and shook her head. "She doesn't want to move in with her parents, like you do." She explained, staring at me with accusing eyes.

"Well, then, she'll learn to deal with it," Sirius said, smirking evilly at me. "This is one argument I'm not just going to give up on."

James groaned behind Lily. "Set it aside for now, and just enjoy your last few hours in the castle." He was whining and begging, like a nine year old. How Lily planned on living with _that_ was beyond me.

I thought about it with my arms crossed, and then looked at Sirius and nodded. "I can agree to that."

"Me too." He said, taking my hand with a smile. "Prongs and I were planning on going to Hogsmeade one last time, are you girls up for it?"

Lily and I nodded simultaneously and our boys lifted us off our feet. They carried us out of the common room, and I somehow wormed my way onto Sirius' back. Lily found her rightful place on the ground, after a small bit of wrestling with James of course.

As we made our way onto the grounds, realization hit me like a brick wall at fifty miles an hour. This was the last time I'd see the gravel roads and old buildings of my beloved Hogsmeade. After this, there was no going back. No next trip. No more Butterbeer. This was it, and nothing was going to stop that.

The ache in my heart only worsened and we stepped inside the Three Broomsticks. The familiar smell of smoke and Fire Whiskey floated through my nostrils. The light scent of Butterbeer poked my nose and I began to whine like a four year old.

"Uhhhh… Butterbeer… Butterbeer, Sirius!" I groaned, my hand stretching out in front of us and towards the bar.

He chuckled. "I know, I know," He said, patting my leg as I continued to whine through my teeth. "I'll be back in a few moments." He set me down on one of the chairs, kissed me forehead and left to go get me a large mug of Butterbeer and a Fire Whiskey for himself most likely.

Lily sat across the table and James sat next to her. The couple started conversing about how much they loved this place, and I began looking around so I could memorize as much of the old tavern as I could.

My eyes roamed over the large fireplace at the far end of the room, and all of the tables and chairs. I took mental photographs of all of the stuffed animals on the walls. Hell, I even memorized all of the faces I saw. Sam, several fifth years, a couple Slytherins, Regulus… Regulus.

My eyes stuck to the black hair and grey eyes of Regulus Black. I still felt guilty about everything I'd done to him. I'd always felt something for him, but I'd always known it would never be as strong as my feelings for Sirius.

"I'll be right back," I quickly stood up and stepped towards him. I didn't know where my head was, but it was definitely not on my shoulders.

"And then she gave me detention!" Avery groaned, looking around at the Slytherins beside him. They all scoffed. "I know, right?"

I stopped and just stared at him. He was sitting across from Avery, whose back was to me. I just hoped that he'd look up and see me.

And he did. He looked up and straight into my eyes. I stared back for a moment, and then looked at the door. Then I looked back at him. He seemed to understand, as he nodded and looked down at the other Slytherins. I watched as he mumbled something, and then looked at the bar. Sirius was talking to Madame Rosmerta.

Quickly, I walked to the door and stepped outside, out of view of the windows. Regulus walked out shortly after, and I tugged him away from the building. I wanted to escape any chance of Sirius finding me talking to him.

"Regulus, I'm sorry," I mumbled as we stepped inside and empty, dark alley between the Three Broomsticks and a small pub that students were never allowed in. "I feel horrible about everything."

"_That's_ what you dragged me out here for?" He scoffed. I didn't like it when he acted this way. It made him seem inhuman.

"That's exactly what I dragged you out here for." I snapped. "You have to realize that your brother found me first, and, in all truth, he treated me _a lot_ better than you did."

"He broke your heart!"

"He loves me!"

"What if I told you I love you? Huh?" He was shouting now, and his words really hit home. "He was right, it all started as a scheme to mess with his head, but I fell in love with you. I deeply, honestly fell in love with you."

My eyes were wide. "Regulus…"

"I'm not done yet," He took a step closer to me. "That day that you told me you didn't want to go out with me anymore, you remember that day right?" I nodded. "I acted all happy and cheery, but I had a hole then, just like you did."

"Regulus, please…" I squeezed my eyes shut.

"No!" He snatched my arm and gripped it as hard as he could. Regulus was as big as Sirius, and he _hadn't_ been kicked off the Quidditch team.

"Please, Regulus, that hurts!"

His grip loosened slightly, so I opened my eyes and looked at him. Maybe my pleas had worked. But then I realized he wasn't looking at, or even thinking about me anymore. His eyes were on the angrier, older man at the end of the alley.

Well, I guess that sort of rains on his parade…

**A/N: I know, it's been a while. My Spring Break was busier than I thought it'd be. **

**Anyways, I need a favor. If any of my readers have been to or live near LA (meaning Los Angeles) I need a couple of actual places. I'm writing a chapter in which Shane shows Sirius her home town, but I've never been there and searching the internet isn't easy unless you actually know of places. So, if you could just send me a list of restaurants, parks, etc. that the stars MIGHT go to, it would be a huge problem solved. Thanks!**

**Other than that, I don't have much to say. So, I'll leave it there. **

**Thanks! ^_^  
**


	28. Brawl between Brothers

**Disclaimer: I don't own Apparation, the Hogwarts Express, Hogwarts or LA. I don't own Regulus or any of the Marauders either. All I own is Shane and her parents. **

June 21st, 1978

**Shane Spencer**

"Sirius…" I choked on his name as it slipped out of my throat. I didn't like the way he was staring at Regulus, or the way his fists were clenched. I knew this was going to get bad really fast.

I looked between the two men, and ripped my arm from Regulus' grip. He tried to grab me by the collar of my coat, but I was just a little too quick for him. I ran towards Sirius, and he opened his arms up for me. I, however, wasn't planning on going there. I knew he'd just end up pushing me away and charging at Regulus.

Instead of running into his arms, I ran straight past him and took a right. From there, I ran back into the Three Broomsticks. James and Lily were still sitting at the table, so it was easy to find them.

"James!" I yelled, running over and pulling his chair back. "You need to go stop Sirius!"

"Shane, what's going on?" He asked, standing up and setting his hands on my shoulders. "Calm down,"

"I will _not_ calm down," I was still shouting, and by now I was beginning to attract a crowd. "Not until you get out there and stop those two!" I started pushing him towards the door, but I was only half his size and couldn't get him to move even an inch.

"Shane, would you tell me what's going on?" He grabbed my shoulders again and held me a decent amount of space away from his body.

"Sirius and Regulus are in the alley outside, and Sirius was _really_ angry when I ran in here! James, you have to stop them! Please!" I yelled, grabbing his hands and pushing him again.

"Oh shit!" He yelled, letting go of my shoulders and running out the door. I ran after him, and Lily after me. I wanted to help him with Sirius, and I was guessing Lily wanted to make sure neither of us got into any trouble.

When we reached the alley, the two had already started throwing fists. Their wands lay discarded near the brick wall of the Three Broomsticks. People were starting to group around them, some making bets and some cheering for one of the burly boys.

James had thrown himself into the action, trying to rip the two apart. He could be so idiotic sometimes.

I sighed and pulled my wand from my back pocket. "_Protego!_" I yelled, an almost invisible green shield developing between the two Blacks. Immediately upon casting the spell, two pairs of gray eyes flashed to me, glaring with a vengeance.

I didn't really care about Regulus anymore. My eyes were trained on Sirius. He was angry, more angry than he'd ever been. Especially with me.

"The train'll be leaving soon," I mumbled, looking away and down at the ground. "We should leave if we want to catch it." I turned and began to walk away, tucking my wand back in my pocket as I went. I could still feel his eyes on me. I could feel his eyes tearing at me, trying to rip me apart.

So, I walked faster. And faster. And faster. Soon, I'd lost the other three. I was running towards the train, leaving the others behind in my dust. In all honesty, I didn't really want any of them to catch up with me. The way Sirius had looked at me back at the Three Broomsticks, I didn't know if he would even try to talk to me about it.

My mind wandered as I stepped onto the empty train and sat in the nearest compartments. I laid my back against the fuzzy red seats and stared at a particular spot on the window. My head began racing as if it had never raced before. I couldn't get the image of his frenzied eyes out of my head. He'd never looked that mad with me.

My brain took a sudden leap to my horrible plan of talking to Regulus. I'd been foolish to think it would all end well. I was stupid to think that Sirius would never find out. I was downright idiotic to think that Regulus would've accepted my apology.

As I thought about this, my arm started to throb. I hadn't noticed it before, probably because of my hurry to get James, but a bruise had formed like a bracelet around the spot on my arm that Regulus had gripped. Did he seriously do that?

I sighed and rolled the sleeves on my white undershirt down in order to hide the bruise. I didn't want anyone asking question about it. It would just make things complicated. Groaning, I laid my head back against the cushioned seat. I closed my eyes, perhaps a nap would do me some good.

However, my hopes of a quiet, peaceful nap faded when the sliding door to the compartment flew open, making a loud sound to go with it.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Sirius yelled, stomping into the compartment and slamming the door shut.

I looked away, back towards the window. I didn't answer his question, fearing his reaction.

"He could've hurt you! You could've ended up in St. Mungo's, for all we know!" He began pacing back and forth, his fingers laced together tightly behind his back. "How could you _be_ so stupid?"

My hand flew to the bruise and began to gently stroke it through my shirt. I was smart to cover it up, because he'd be chewing me out if he knew anything about it.

"I didn't think he'd behave like that…" I mumbled, continuing to look out the window.

"You didn't think- But you always think…" He growled, stopping and accusingly glaring at me.

I wasn't normally one to be emotional, but I hated him when he acted like this. I couldn't help but to have the tears swell in my eyes as he continued to glare. I tried to hide it, but my whimpers and sniffles betrayed me.

"I'm sorry…" I mumbled again, wiping the tears out of my eyes.

I heard him sigh, and felt the seat beside me sink. "Don't be," he said, helping me wipe away the remaining tears. "Just tell me what the hell you were trying to do in the first place."

I sighed. "I just wanted to tell him that I was sorry if I ever did anything to hurt him." I finally looked at him, and all the anger had left his face. Instead, I saw love and concern. "I didn't think he'd get so angry with me!"

"I know," He said, wrapping his right arm around my waist and pulling me into his lap. "I'm sorry I acted so…"

"Violently?" I suggested.

He chuckled. "Yes, violently." He kissed my cheek and set his head on my shoulder. "You know I love you, don't you?"

I nodded and stroked his shiny, black hair. "And I know that you know I love you as well, so why ask?" I said, smiling and running my thin, pale fingers through his mane. "Have you been growing your hair out?"

He chuckled, making me shake and bounce violently in his lap. "No, it just sort of grew. I'm meaning to get it cut as soon as I get the chance."

"Don't," I ran both of my hands through it and pulled his face up to mine. "I like it this way, it suits you." I pecked his lips and felt the familiar, warm zing fly through my stomach.

"Oh, so you like it?" His smirk flew onto his face and his arms wrapped around my waist tightly, anchoring me in my spot.

"Yes, I do," I said, teasingly breathing on his ear. "I also like where this is going, but I don't think it should go any further, seeing as we're on a train that hundreds of kids are about to board."

"Aww…" He whined. "When we get off the train, we immediately find a motel to spend the night at, deal?"

I chuckled. "Deal."

* * *

The train ride was pleasant. All of the Marauders sat together, somehow fitting in one compartment. Sirius bought me plenty of sweets from the trolley, and we played our favorite game with them. Candy Quidditch.

Candy Quidditch was a game we'd played several times during the beginning of our seventh year, but we hadn't played it since then. It was just like actual Quidditch, only the hoops were our mouths and the Quaffle was any type of round candy. James, Peter and I were the best at this game.

We also had a Pumpkin Pasty eating contest. I won that, obviously. Then, the boys decided to play a game of Exploding Snap, betting included. Neither Lily nor I were ones for gambling, so we opted to kick the boys onto the floor and gossip while they played.

The train ride ended sooner than I'd expected, and everyone else decided to wait for everyone else to get off the train before leaving. I listened, seeing as I was new to this and they were old pros. Doing this also gave us a little bit more time together before the gang split up for a while.

"This is it." I said, Sirius' arms around my shoulders as I looked around at all of the Marauders and Lily. "You're all going to visit, and not just once in a while either."

Remus laughed. "Might as well move in with you."

"Would you?" I asked eagerly, jumping over to him and draping myself on his shoulders. "I love Sirius and all, but I think I'll get bored with him really fast."

Everyone laughed, well, other than Sirius. Sirius just sort of frowned and pulled me away from Remus. He didn't know it, but he grabbed me by my bruise. I tried not to flinch, and I'd say I did a pretty good job because he didn't stare at me or anything.

I put a fake smile onto my face as settled back against his side. "Sirius and I should probably get going, the time difference and all." I could feel the tears swelling up in my eyes, so I pretended to yawn and rubbed my eyes to get rid of them secretly.

"Oh, look at that," Remus piped. "Shane Spencer's _crying_."

"Sod off!" I yelped, wiping the tears away and smacking his arm.

He just chuckled. "Don't worry, we'll see you soon. We might even have to come over and meet those parents of yours."

I smiled and looked up at him. "I love you guys!" Then, suddenly, I jumped onto Remus, herding the rest of them into a group hug. I was going to miss them.

Then, everyone went their separate ways. Remus grabbed his trunk and Apparated, just as Peter did. Lily and James went to visit Lily's parents before Apparating to their new home in Godric's Hallow. Sirius and I never did get that motel room, though.

* * *

I took a shaky breath as I stared up at the large beachside mansion in Malibu that I used to call home. I could see gentle, yellow lights getting past the shades. The sun provided little light, but I could still see that the house hadn't changed much. The lawn was still green, the bricks showing almost no sign of aging.

My eyes floated to the balcony on the left side of the house. That was my balcony, the one that connected to my bedroom. I'd gotten my first kiss on that balcony.

With a pop, Sirius was standing beside me with the bag he'd forgotten at King's Cross.

"You alright?" He asked, setting the bag down and grabbing my hand.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm just a little nervous." I gulped and took a deep breath. "I mean, the last time I saw him I yelled at him, stunned him, and ran."

"Well, we'll get that straightened out when we get in there. Just don't think about it." He said, picking up the bag and dropping it onto his trunk, which he then pulled up so it was on its clever little wheels.

I nodded and did the same. Then, we followed the long, concrete driveway to the steps that led to the black front door.

I set my trunk down and climbed the steps, stopping Sirius when he tried to come up with me. I had to do this on my own.

So, after taking a long, deep breath, I knocked on the door. It took a few minutes, but I eventually heard the doorknob turn and the door opened a crack. I was happy with the face I saw look through.

"Shane?" My mother asked, opening the door further and staring at me with hopeful eyes.

"Hi mum." I said, a smile enveloping my face.

"Oh my god, Shane!" She yelped. "John, get down here!" Then her arms were around me. I happily returned the hug, and I could feel the tears from earlier welling up in my eyes. Gently, she pushed me away and looked me up and down, obviously sizing up my high tops and jeans. "We'll have to go shopping later…" She mumbled, tugging at my T-shirt.

"No, no shopping. Remember what happened the last time you tried to put me in heels?"

She chuckled. "I remember," She said, looking past me at Sirius. "How you could get a guy like that wearing clothes like these is the mystery, though. What's his name?"

"Oh, that's-"

"Shane?"

I froze at the deep, firm voice of John Spencer. My eyes moved to the large figure at the top of the stairs, and my body got stiff again.

My father had changed since our little meeting in Hogwarts almost a year ago. His hair was beginning to gray, and his face had many new wrinkles. The little facial hair he'd once had exploded into a light beard, which was also beginning to gray. His skin was now tanned and weathered. The only thing that hadn't really changed were the bright hazel eyes that he'd passed down to me.

"Dad…" I mumbled, taking yet another shaky breath.

He stared as me for another moment, before smiling and descending the stairs. His quick strides brought him right up in front of me, swooping me up in his arms and almost crushing me. I was almost afraid of what would happen to Sirius when I introduced the two.

"Shane, I'm sorry about everything." He mumbled as he pushed me away, holding me firmly by my shoulders. "Did you even _want_ to perform?"

"Of course I did, I just didn't want to do as much of it as I did." I said, smiling at him when he twisted his face at my new accent.

He quickly composed himself, and nodded in agreement. "What about now, how do you feel about it?"

I knew this was going to come up, so my answer was immediate and sure. "Performing is something I have to do, but I'm not going to do it as an occupation anymore."

"Understood," He said, pulling me back into his arms. "Welcome home, pumpkin."

I sighed. It was nice to hear those words. "Thanks, Dad," I said, pulling away. "Hold on, I'll be right back." I left my parents' side and ran down the steps to stand behind Sirius, who was now sitting on the bottommost step and admiring the yard. "Come on, Sirius."

He looked back at me over his shoulder, and stood quickly. I grabbed his hand and pulled him up the stairs as he tried to fix his long hair and straighten himself up. However, his fidgeting stopped as I placed him in front of my parents.

"Mum, Dad, this is Sirius." I said, looking over at what my mom would've called "the hunk" at my side.

"And you're dating him?" My father asked, ignoring my mother's squeals of joy.

I nodded. "We're planning on moving into a flat back in London together, as soon as we find one that is." I said, watching Dad grind his teeth. He'd never liked it when I brought a guy home. "Until then, though, we need a place to stay."

"Yes!" My mother yelped, completely understanding the question I'd hidden beneath the statement. "Oh, it'll be wonderful!"

I chuckled. Sometimes, my mother seemed even more childish than a three year old. "Dad, you're alright with it?"

He glared at Sirius, obviously deep in thought. "It's fine, as long as you two are in separate bedrooms."

I smiled and hugged both of my parents a thank you. Then, Sirius and I found our appointed rooms and split up. That didn't stop me from Apparating into his room once all lights had gone out though.

**A/N: And Hogwarts is no more... a sad prospect for me seeing as it's my favorite place in the entire world. However, life moves on, especially for Sirius and Shane. Where do you think things are going to go between John (or Mr. Spencer) and Sirius? I already know, but do you? **

**Anyways, I haven't been busy at all this week. It's been really easy-going with homework for the past few weeks, but I've been reading a lot, which is the reason I didn't have this up, like, two days ago. I've been reading the Mortal Instruments series, along with it's prequel the Infernal Devices. Well, there's that and FanFiction is malfunctioning and won't let me get to my story pages. However, I've overcome that obstacle with the help of YukiKyoMomiji. THANK YOU!  
**

**Although I've got the story mapped out, I'm having a hard time writing it again. I'm slowly falling out of love with Sirius, but it'll pique again soon and I'll write a lot and have about three chapters for you in two weeks. Until then, this is going to go a little slow. I know I've done this before, and I really want to thank all of you that have stuck with me this long time. It's been rough, the year anniversary of my grandpa's death is in a few weeks and none of you seem to mind that it's making me a little sluggish. It's my readers that keep me going, so thank you all very, very much. **

**I'm hoping to have another chapter out soon, so look out for it! **

**R&R  
**


	29. Los Angeles, California

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sirius Black, or LA. However (for the first time in ever) I own mostly everything else.**

**Sirius Black**

June 22nd, 1978

I could feel the warmth the sunlight provided as it shone through glass doors leading to the balcony and onto my bare arm and the bottom half of my face. I liked the warmth, but I could've done without the light. The light was just annoying.

"Wake up, sleepy-head!"

I groaned and flipped onto my bare stomach, the soft, silk sheets rubbing against my chest. "Ten more minutes…" I mumbled into the pillow beneath my head.

"Sirius, do you want to have breakfast with my parents or not?"

I thought for a moment. "What kind of breakfast?" I didn't lift my head, but my eyes shifted to Shane's small frame. She was standing to my right, at the edge of her huge bed.

"Any kind you want." She smirked, and I could tell that she knew she had me. "I'm sure Ian wouldn't mind making you something other than the normal pancakes."

"Who the hell is Ian?" I sat bolt upright, my eyes wide open and my hands gripping the sheets.

She chuckled. "My family's _sixty year old_ personal chef, Sirius." She explained, swiftly planting a kiss on my cheek. "Really, there're no other men in my life that I could have that sort of relationship with."

I sighed, grabbed her waist and pulled her into my lap. "Sorry, love," I mumbled, setting my face against her small, frail shoulder. "You just love to make me jealous, don't you?"

"Yup."

I smiled and gently kissed the pale skin of her shoulder. "You go down, I'll be there in a few minutes."

"'Kay." She piped, jumping off my lap and running out the door. She was such a child.

I groaned and forced myself to stand up. I stretched my back and arms and glanced around the large room that I probably shouldn't have been in. My room was down the hall, but this was Shane's. However, I never thought Shane would have a bedroom quite like this.

All of the walls were purple, and the carpet was white. Stuffed animals lined all of the windows and shelves, drawings of princesses and castles attached to every open surface. There was only one part of the room that I was guessing she'd done recently, and that was a small billboard covered in autographed pictures and albums from the Beatles.

I smiled and walked over to the purple dresser that was against the far wall. It was like something you'd see a fairytail princess owning. A large, ugly thing with a mirror on the back of it. Caught between the mirror and the purple woodwork were several photographs. A few were of us and the Marauders, and there were a few of just her. However, what I really noticed were the people I didn't know. There was a picture of Shane, probably around fourteen, with a little bald boy. There were also many of her and another boy, but these seemed to stretch throughout her lifetime. From when she was little (she was very adorable back then as well) to some that looked very recent.

I removed my eyes from the photographs and Apparated back to my room. I quickly found a T-shirt and a pair of jeans and left my room, shutting the door on my way out. I followed the long hallway that led to a staircase, which led downstairs (it was a really big house). The hallway was littered with family portraits hanging along the wall. Several of Shane's records hung along the wall as well.

I slowly made my way into the large room that they called an "entryway." I called it a living room. I stepped out of the "entryway" and into the dining room.

The dining room wasn't as big as most people would think, after seeing the rest of the house. It was made up of a single, rectangular table with far more chairs than needed by their family.

I stood in the doorway for several seconds, assessing what was going on. Shane's father was fixated with the morning paper, and Shane and her mother were chatting amiably. The topic seemed to be on Hogwarts, as I heard the word "school" pop up more than once.

I took a deep breath and strode into the room. "Morning," I said, trying to sound confident. It didn't work.

"Good morning, Sirius." Scarlett (or as Shane's mother had asked me to call her) said as she looked up from Shane's face. I nodded back respectfully.

"Morning!" Shane smiled as she kissed my cheek, pulling me into the chair next to her.

With that one motion, I could feel Mr. Spencer's eyes on me, a glare set in his hazel eyes. His eyes locked on me, and that made me nervous. The palms of my hands started to sweat, and my leg started to bounce.

"Tell me, Mr. Black, how'd you meet my daughter?"

I looked over at the older man and tried to calm myself.

"Um, she was helping a friend of mine with a little problem." My voice cracked, but I regained myself quickly.

"Remus, the werewolf. Remember?" Shane asked her parents, looking between them. "I was helping him with his "furry little" problem and Dumbledore told me that I should get to know him better, and that's when I met Sirius here."

"Alright, how long have you two been dating?"

Oh, I'd been dreading this question. I didn't know how long we'd been together with all of the stuff with Regulus, and I doubted that she did either.

"That's… complicated." She mumbled, looking at her plate and beginning to play with her eggs.

"There was a period of time where we were separated," I mumbled, taking a deep breath as I said the words. Still, keeping a calm composure was hard! "That makes it hard to tell exactly how long we've been together." Now I could really feel Mr. Spencer's eyes burning into my skull.

A sudden bell rang through the house, and my head bounced around, looking for the source of the sound. I'd never heard something like that before.

"That would be _my_ guest." Mr. Spencer said, standing up with a smirk on his face. "Excuse me." He folded his paper and set it on the table beside his coffee mug. Then, he left the room.

Shane set her hand on my knee, instantly gaining my attention. "It's the doorbell."

I made an "O" shape with my mouth. "That explains it," I mumbled, patting her hand. "You muggles and your crazy contraptions."

She chuckled and went back to her eggs. Silence ensued, but it didn't last too long. Soon, two voices could be heard from the "entryway." One of them belonging to Mr. Spencer.

"Is she really here?" This voice was deep, but it still sounded younger than Mr. Spencer's.

"Yes, she's back."

"Shane!"

I looked back at Shane, and she looked at the doorway. Her eyes widened with recognition and a smile crept onto her face.

"Excuse me." She mumbled quickly, standing up and running out the door.

I glanced at Scarlett, and she shrugged. So, I stood up and walked to the doorway to see what was going on. As I looked out at her, I frowned. There was an incredibly handsome (don't take that the wrong way) man standing beside Mr. Spencer.

"Josh!" Shane yelped as she ran and flung herself into the handsome man's arms.

Josh… why did that ring a bell? Oh, he was her best friend. I was still kind of jealous, even if they were only friends. After all, he might've been even more handsome than I was, and that was a scary thing to admit.

"Shane, oh, I _missed_ you!" He groaned into her ear, lifting her tiny frame off the ground and holding her tightly against his chest.

I cleared my throat, glaring at the man.

"Oh, Josh, put me down!"

Thankfully, Shane was on the ground again, smiling up at the man with admiration in her eyes. I didn't like that look.

"Josh, you have to meet Sirius!" She grabbed his hand (didn't like that either) and pulled him over to where I was standing by the door. "Josh, Sirius. Sirius, Josh." She smiled as she gestured to us. _Josh_ smiled at me and held his hand out. At least it was a friendly gesture.

"That's quite a name you've got there." He said as I took his hand in a firm grasp.

I nodded. "All of the men in my family are named after constellations." I said, explaining why my name was also the name of the Dog Star (how ironic).

"Well, traditions are traditions."

I frowned. "They won't be when I have children."

He chuckled and looked at Shane. "How do you know this guy?" He asked, the smile sticking to his face.

A large smile now stuck to _her_ face. "He's my amazing, wonderful, perfect boyfriend!" She jumped onto my back and I staggered, not quite ready for her weight so early in the morning. However, her words put a smile on my face.

The same couldn't be said for Josh.

"Oh…" He mumbled, the corners of his lips pulling down and his brow furrowing. "From England, then?"

I nodded. "London, actually."

He nodded, and silence ensued. He said nothing, I said nothing, and Shane looked between us with a confused look on her face, also saying nothing. We lasted like this for about a minute, the silence quickly getting awkward and annoying.

Then, Shane saved us.

"You look different, Josh," She said, sliding down my back and walking over to him to lift his arms and inspect his biceps. She could stand underneath his outstretched arm and _still_ have about an inch of headspace. "Have you been working out?"

He smiled again and wrapped his arm around her head. "I thought I might as well get in shape. Girls prefer muscle, you know."

She chuckled. "I know, that's why I've got Sirius."

"How many pushups can he do?" He asked challengingly, a glare forming.

"Fifty," I interrupted. "And that's with Shane on my back."

She nodded in support. "He got kicked off his… soccer team," Soccer? What the hell is soccer? "I'm helping him stay in shape."

"Soccer? What position do you play?"

Oh shit…

"Um… all around, really…" I mumbled, my eyes widening. I was lying through my teeth, and Josh knew it.

"Oh really, which one do you play the most?"

"Goalie," Shane interrupted, saving my behind as she walked over to my side again. "He's a fantastic one, too."

Josh nodded. "Listen, I've gotta go, but do you wanna meet up later? A movie, maybe?"

"Actually, I was going to show Sirius around LA." Shane mumbled, frowning and stepping closer to him. "Tomorrow, though. I was planning on forcing him to go golfing with my dad anyways."

Josh nodded and pulled her into his chest. "Welcome home, Shane." He mumbled, kissing the top of her head. That really got my blood boiling. "See you tomorrow."

"Bye." Then, he let her go and ran out the door.

Shane smiled and grabbed my hand, pulling me back over to the door.

"Shane?"

"Yeah?"

"What's soccer?"

**A/N: I really have to get going on this story. I've only got one more reserve chapter. However, I shall succeed!**

**Anyways, the spring season's starting (basketball, might I remind you) and I'm really tired. We ran three killers in my yesterday's practice, plus three laps, this drill where we had to shuffle between lines, and five minutes of wall sits. To add to it all, I'm taking care of my aunts dog, who happens to be older than I am and _still_ isn't house trained. She kept me up all of last night, too.**

**I haven't felt like writing lately. I don't know why, but I'm just not into it right now. I've been reading the Mortal Instruments series, and I have to say that I LOVE IT! Jace is so dreamy, I just wanna eat him up...**

**So, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I really hope that you'll wait for me to put another chapter out. **

**R&R  
**


	30. The Musso and Frank Grill

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sirius or the Musso and Frank Grill. I also don't own LA, or anything pertaining to it. However, I still own most of the characters! Yay!**

**Shane Spencer**

June 22nd, 1978

I smiled as I circled Sirius, who was now standing on this little stool that Maria had provided for him. I knew he hated every moment of this, but that was what made it so entertaining.

"I don't see _why_ you need my measurements." He said as Maria lifted his arm and placed her measuring tap along the underside of it. "I have plenty of clothes."

I sighed. "I told you, if you want to be _my_ boyfriend you have to at least be in style. Plus, you need an outfit for golfing tomorrow."

"That's another thing, I don't see why I have to go "golfing" with your dad. I don't even bloody know what golf is!"

"You'll do fine," I mumbled, grabbing one of my father's hats and tossing it on his head. "You do have those huge, tree-trunk-like arms."

"Why, thank you love."

"Anytime." I mumbled, snatching the hat from his head as I pecked his lips. "Maria, no hat on the golf outfit, okay?"

"Of course, it doesn't fit his hair." She mumbled with a smile on her aging and weathered face.

Maria was my personal tailor. She'd made all of my clothes since I was nine, and we'd grown to have a strong bond when it came to fashion. Maria was originally from New Jersey, but my parents had known her since they were my age.

"What would you say to a sweater vest?" She asked, looking away from Sirius' legs and over to me. "It's traditional, and I think it would fit nicely with the white slacks you've picked out."

"Agreed." I said, nodding as I looked him up and down. "Make it white and green checkered, green around the shoulders and waist."

"And that, Shane, is why you're the only person I'll ever work for."

I smiled. "I feel honored, Maria." I began to wander around Sirius again, admiring the slacks he was wearing. Crisp, white and new. They fit him well.

The clock on the wall behind him suddenly caught my eye. I'd completely forgotten that I was supposed to be keeping an eye on the time.

Quietly, I swore under my breath, aiming to keep Maria from hearing it (she still thought of me as a little girl). However, I failed and she threw me a glare.

"Sirius, get down from there, we've got to go!" I yelped, grabbing his old, dirty jeans from the floor and throwing them at him. "We're going to be late!"

He stepped down, careful to not poke himself with Maria's many needles. "Late for what?"

I stopped running about and mentally slapped myself. "Nothing, you'll see when we get there, now put those on!" I rushed out of Sirius' room and into the hallway. My little feet carried me into my own room, and I scowled on command at the purple walls. I really did need to repaint or something.

"Wallet, wallet… where are you?" I mumbled, vigorously digging through the small pile of items that had wound up on my bedside table. Quills, a spilled ink vial, even a princess watch my dad had given me when I was six. My wallet, however, was still missing in action.

I grumbled to myself and got down on my knees, peering into the dark, nearly empty space beneath my bed. I couldn't see anything, so I shoved my hand in and pulled out the first random object my fingers grazed. I was disgusted when I saw it was an apple core. I quickly tossed it back under and slowly pushed my hand in again. I couldn't feel anything, so I jammed my entire arm in, all the way up to my shoulder.

"Looking for this?" I continued to search as I glanced at my door. Sirius stood there, my tan leather wallet in his hand.

"Where was it?" I asked as I stood and paced over to him, snatching it from his warm hands.

"On your bed."

"Oh, you're a life saver," I kissed his cheek and grabbed his hand, pulling him out of my room and through the hall. We followed the staircase and ran out the back door, leading to the large pool my mother was resting beside. "Mum, Sirius and I are going out, and we're taking the Mustang."

"Have fun…" She mumbled, not even bothering to look up from her cheesy romance novel. I smirked at her "old age" and pulled Sirius back inside.

"A Mustang? As in a horse?" Sirius asked as I pulled him through the living room and down to the garage, which was on the lowest level of the house. The only thing on the lowest level.

I chuckled. "No, it's a car."

"Oh, one of those muggle modes of transportation?" He asked.

I couldn't help but to laugh.

"Yes, Sirius," I answered, smiling back at him as we walked over to the large cork-board that my dad hung all of the keys on. We had about ten different cars, two were mine, three were my mothers, and the other five belonged to my dad. "Next thing you know I'll be introducing you to the subway."

"The what?"

"Nevermind…"

* * *

My fingers tapped against the wheel as I hummed along with Yellow Submarine by the Beatles. We were speeding down Cahuenga Boulevard, just passing one-oh-one. I was relaxed, easily handling the red muscle car. Sirius, however, was a different story.

"Are you sure this is safe?" He asked as he gripped the dash so tightly his knuckles turned white. A look of panic stricken on his face.

"Of course it's safe," I said. "Plus, we're almost there."

He groaned and nervously looked out the window. "I don't see why we couldn't just Apparate there…"

I sighed. "There are hundreds of people on Hollywood Boulevard right now, and you think we can just pop up in the middle of them all? You'd lose your wand, and I have no clue what would happen to me."

He mumbled something under his breath, and I smirked. How can you be aggravated when you're sitting in a seventy-thousand dollar car?

I turned the car onto Hollywood Boulevard and admired all of the building and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. My star was right in front of our destination. The Musso and Frank Grill. I smiled at the sight of the old, familiar building. Slowly, I progressed to the staff parking lot and parked in the reserved spot that my dad bought for my twelfth birthday.

"You can stop acting like you're gonna die now," I said, pulling the keys out of the ignition and stuffing them in the pocket of my hoodie. "We're here."

He seemed to let out a large breath, one that he'd been holding in since we got out of the driveway. I opened my door and slid out. Sirius followed me. I walked out of the parking lot and onto the busy sidewalk, the familiar sounds of cameras flashing and tourists kissing their favorite stars (how the hell did the stand to kiss the sidewalk?) surrounding my ears.

"So _this_ is Hollywood…"

"Yup…" I mumbled, watching all of the people pass. I sighed and grabbed his hand. "Let's hurry before they give our reservation to someone else."

"Huh?" He asked, but I didn't hear him as I tugged him into the midst of the crowd.

Suddenly, several pairs of eyes were on me. A couple belonged to kids my age, or a little older. Some even belonged to people who looked about my parents' age. Then, they started whispering. I didn't really care what they were talking about, but curiosity was one of my great weaknesses.

"Is that Shane Spencer?" I heard a teenage girl whisper to another standing beside her.

"It can't be," The other girl whispered. "She's dead, isn't she?"

"No, that was a rumor."

"Oh, well I still don't think that's her. I mean, look at her eyes."

"Ignore them," Sirius whispered in my ear. "Your eyes are gorgeous."

I chuckled. "Thank you, but I wasn't listening to them."

He wound his fingers through mine, interlocking our hands. As always, the grip was sweaty, and the heat just added to it. However, that was the magic. We weren't perfect.

"You're a horrible liar."

"You're one to talk." I smiled and tugged him over to the green and stone building. "This is my star." I said, pointing at a black star implanted in the sidewalk. A golden record sat in the center. "And this is where we're going." I lifted my head and pointed at my absolute favorite restaurant, the Musso and Frank Grill.

"A restaurant?"

"The best and oldest restaurant in Hollywood, Sirius." I answered. "We're just lucky I've got relationships with several of the staff members that were willing to boot some reservations for us."

"What kind of relationships?"

I rolled my eyes. "The girlfriend kind, and the fatherly kind." I answered, and that took his jealous frown and flipped it.

"Wonderful, let's go in shall we?" He stalked over to the door and pulled it open, holding it for me to walk in. "Ladies first."

"Then shouldn't you be going?"

"I'm being polite, Shane."

I rolled my eyes again. "Thank you, my good sir." I muttered, stepping inside the building and taking in all of the familiar sites. All of the oak cabinets, the square tables covered in white tablecloths and several different kinds of table settings. My eyes roamed over the intricate pictures on the wallpaper that lined the white ceiling. Waiters and waitresses in red waistcoats were running around, collecting orders and dishes. A tall waiter walked past with a plate of the Thursday special, chicken pot pie, and my mouth started watering.

"Shane? Oh, Shane!" My eyes flashed to a tall girl, waiting a couple that seemed to be having a date. She was smiling back at me, a glimmer in her bright blue eyes.

I raised my hand and waved.

"Who's that?" Sirius whispered to me over my shoulder.

I chuckled. "The girlfriend relationship."

He made an O shape with his mouth and stood back as I took a few steps forward. The girl came forward to meet me, and I knew she would've hugged me if it hadn't been for the stack of dishes in her arms.

"Can I help?" I asked, snatching a pile of dishes from her frail fingers.

"Shane, you're a customer. I'm suppose to fulfill all of your wishes, not the other way around." She chuckled, but didn't remove the dishes from my hand.

I chuckled. "How've you been, Amanda?" Slowly, we began to make our way back to the kitchens.

"Alright," She said, snatching another dish from one of the tables that we passed. "Life's been rather boring without you, but I've gotten by."

"Good, I thought you might've died without me."

"Almost, but my curiosity will now break us from this topic," She nudged me with her elbow. "Who's the guy?"

I giggled, yes, giggled. "That's my boyfriend."

"British?"

"Hell yeah!"

We both broke out laughing, and I thought back. It had been about two years since I'd last seen her. Two years was a long time to be away from someone you'd seen almost every day of your life since you were ten.

"Sorry I ran without telling you." I said, snatching a couple dishes from her.

"Hey, you're doing my work," She smiled. "We're square. Plus, Josh told me when they got back from London. You've talked to him, right?"

"Yeah, my dad brought him over this morning. I think he made Sirius a little jealous, to be honest."

"Sirius? What kind of a name is Sirius? Don't get me wrong, it's still sexy, but who names their kid that?" She asked as we finally stepped into the kitchen and dumped our dishes into the large sink.

"His parents were extremely religious." I lied. "He's named after a star, actually."

"Oh, hot…"

I giggled again as we stepped out of the kitchen and began to walk back over to Sirius. "I can't wait for you to meet him," I said. "He's just the most amazing person ever."

"Good to know you think highly of me."

I jumped a foot or two into the air, and flashed around. My eyes quickly caught sight of a man I'd known my entire life, ever since birth.

"Mark!" I yelped, throwing my arms around the middle-aged man's neck. He chuckled and wrapped his own arms around me, giving me one strong squeeze before letting go and pushing me away.

"It's good to see you too, Shane," He chuckled, setting his large hand on my hair and ruffling the large brown mop. "However, we need to have a little talk about that little stunt you pulled. We were so worried."

"By we do you mean you and Sarah, or you and someone else?" I asked, nodding to Amanda as she made a gesture to tell me she had to go do her job.

"I mean me and everyone else, especially your fans." He said, a sad smile crinkling his aging face. "But we'll save that for later, right now, I want to meet this boyfriend your father called me about."

"He did it again, didn't he?" I asked, my hands balling into fists and steam almost pouring out of my ears.

"He's just looking out for you."

"Yeah, but he does this with all of my boyfriends. Please, I really like this one. Don't scare him off." I asked, grabbing his hand and looking into his green eyes, using the "puppy dog look."

"Alright, but I'm not going to accept him just because you ask me to, he'll have to earn that."

I smiled and hugged Mark again. "At least you're giving him a chance, my dad hates him."

"And that surprises you?"

I chuckled and pulled him over to Sirius, who was now standing awkwardly by the door. Several college-age girls kept glancing his way from the table in the corner, and I could tell he was restraining from running over to me to show them that he was _my_ property.

"Shane, you're back, good…" He mumbled nervously, pulling me from Mark into the hallow beneath his arm.

"Sirius, this is my godfather, Mark. Mark, this is Sirius." I said, gesturing between them and allowing them to shake the other's hand. "And now that the introductions are out of the way, do you have time to have lunch with us?"

Mark smiled, "Only a few minutes, but I suppose that's better than nothing."

"Exactly," I nodded and grabbed Sirius' hand. "Mark and I have lunch here every Thursday, well, we used to. And we've got the same table reserved for all of them. C'mon, I'll show you." I tugged him into the sea of tables, chairs, and white lace, Mark following as I struggled to pull all of Sirius' bulk.

**A/N: Oh, man I'm falling behind. I really hope I didn't screw this chapter up. I know I screwed the next one up big time, but at least I'm past all of the boring stuff now. **

**Anyways, I find it humoring that Sirius has no idea what's going on throughout half of this chapter, and I don't know why. I must say that my favorite part is when he asks Shane what a subway is. **

**AHA, two new characters. Amanda might pop up again, but I'm not sure. I'll just see when I get there. Mark is going to play a bit of a part, but he's still only a supporting character. He'll be in the next chapter too. And then Josh is going to be a main character in the chapter after that. Oh, I can't wait to mess with your minds. **

**Now, onto why I haven't been posting anything recently. Schools been busy again, and basketball started up. That's the excuse I'm using, even though it's not entirely true. Of course, school has been taking up a bit of time (I had two big projects due this week) and basketball takes an hour and a half out of two days in my week, but I haven't really been in the mood to write anything lately. **

**Yesterday, though, I started rereading one of my favorite Sirius/OC stories. It's called Nobody Sees Me Wishing and it's by solitareclay07. It honestly got me back in the mood to write, so thank you! **

**I probably won't get another chapter up for a while, so just hang in there with me! **

**I LOVE YOU ALL!**

**R&R  
**


	31. The Secret's Out

**Disclaimer: I don't own LA or the Musso and Frank Grill. I don't even own Sirius, which I find to be rather sad…**

**Sirius Black **

June 22nd, 1978

I stumbled after Shane, narrowly avoiding chairs and several people, including an elderly woman who slapped me with her handbag. I could feel "Mark's" eyes on the back of my head as Shane pulled me over to a small, round table near a window that led out to the road.

"Sit!" She yelped, shoving me into one of the two chairs at the table. "You too, Mark, and I'll go find another chair!"

The man beside me chuckled as Shane ran off into the crowd of people. Mark, her godfather, didn't look to be the same age as Mr. Spencer. His brown hair wasn't graying, his tan skin wasn't wrinkled in the slightest, and his green eyes seemed to shine with a very child-like playfulness. I was curious about him, but I didn't want to ask because I felt it might seem impolite, and I'd already screwed it up with Mr. Spencer.

"Honestly, boy, if you want to tell me something just do so."

"Huh?" I asked, snapping out of my thoughts. It was then that I realized I'd been staring at him.

He chuckled. "Just ask what you want to ask." He said, angling his chair so he was facing me.

"Um, alright…" I mumbled, rubbing the back of my neck nervously. "I was just a little curious, sir-"

"Call me Mark."

"Oh, um, Mark. I was just wondering… How do you know Shane's parents?" At first I didn't think he was going to answer because he just stared at me, but my thoughts changed when he smiled.

"You're the first of Shane's boyfriends to ask me that," He mumbled as a waiter in a red waistcoat set a glass of water down in front of him. "Normally they ask me things about Shane."

"I already know everything about Shane, I don't need to ask you." I smiled brightly. "I know her favorite band is the Beatles, she loves anything chocolate, her favorite board game is Chutes and Ladders… you get the point."

He chuckled again. "Impressive," He stated, leaning back casually in his chair. "And, to answer your question, I met Shane's father when he used to meet up with clients here."

"Sounds like you come here a lot."

He threw his head back and cackled like a hyena. What was so funny?

"Well I should!" He still hadn't stopped laughing. "The owner ought to show up often, don't you think?"

"You own this place?" I asked, glancing around the restaurant curiously. He didn't look like he owned it, seeing as he was dressed in nothing but a T-shirt and jeans. I thought the owner of something so successful would dress a bit… grander.

"Going on twenty years here, met Shane's parents twenty years ago, a rather nice thing I got out of buying this place." He smiled at me. "But, enough about me. I want to know more about you."

"There's not much to know…" I mumbled.

"How about we start with where you go to school."

I gulped and my heart started to speed up. "Um…"

"I'm back!" Shane yelped in a singsong voice, tossing a chair down beside me. "Your lives just got better."

I chuckled. "You've honestly no idea." I mumbled, bending over to kiss her cheek.

"Shane, your boy here was just telling me about himself."

I glanced at her. Her face had gone ghastly pale, her eyes wide. I didn't understand. Why couldn't she just lie, like she had to _Josh_. Why was it so hard to tell him a lie?

She glanced at me, a pleading look in her eyes. She didn't want to lie to him. Were they really that close? I didn't know what to do.

I sighed and looked to Mark. "Um, before we get into that, you need to know a few things, and we can't exactly tell you here, sir- I mean Mark."

Suddenly, Mark's face darkened. A glare came to his face, and his large hands (even compared to mine) balled into fists. "So an ugly secret, is it?" He asked, glancing at Shane.

Her eyes widened again. "No! No, it's not ugly. It's just _extremely_ secret. If anyone here knew, Sirius could be killed." She waved her hands in front of her, and then added as an afterthought, "Either that or thrown in prison."

"That doesn't really help the ugly secret thing, Shane."

She shook her head. "Just stop by the house later tonight and we'll explain everything, okay?"

He nodded. "Do your parents know this secret?" He asked accusingly, looking at Shane through his unnaturally long eyelashes.

"Yeah, they've known for almost a year now," She mumbled. "They came to "visit" me in Britain." She added air quotes to the word "visit" and smiled nervously.

Mark sighed and nodded. "Alright, I'll stop by later," He stood from his chair, the dark look hanging on his face. "I'll have them send out the Thursday special."

"Thanks," Shane mumbled, and stared down at her hands as he began to weave through the large expanse of people. Soon, he was lost in the masses, and I looked back to Shane.

"Sorry…" She mumbled.

I shook my head. "It's fine, as long as you trust him."

"I'd trust Mark with my life, we don't have anything to worry about."

A sudden silence enveloped us, but it wasn't like our normal silences. Normally, our silences were comfortable and nice, but this was awkward and strange. It felt foreign to me. Very foreign.

* * *

"That's bogus," I mumbled, leaning against the back of the sofa in the living room. "Wiggling your nose like that isn't how a spell's done."

"Muggles, Sirius, muggles." Shane chuckled, patting my knee. "It's just TV."

"Still, you'd think they'd do at least a _little_ research."

"They don't have anything to use _to_ do research. Wizards aren't just going to pop up on set and tell them that they're doing it all wrong." She flipped herself so her legs were lying across my lap.

"I will if they keep screwing it up."

"Sirius, these are reruns. They don't make this show anymore, therefore you can't go to the set and tell them what they're doing wrong."

"Annoying know it all." I mumbled under my breath.

"Stupid dog." She countered.

"Cocky famous celebrity."

"Soccer player."

"Alright, that's a little serious." I said with a smile.

She glanced at me with a smile on her face as well. "Sorry," She leaned over and pecked my now chapped lips. "Now, onto I Love Lucy!"

"No!" I yelped, reaching out to snatch the thing I'd been told was a "remote" from her hands. "No more muggle television! I'd rather watch grass grow!"

"Then what do you suggest we do?" She asked me, folding her arms over her chest and pouting like a three year old.

"I don't know, this is you're world, not mine." I mumbled grumpily. "You tell me."

She sighed. "Sirius, do I _really_ have to do all of the thinking in this relationship?"

I scoffed, and smirked at her. "Shane, do I _really_ have to answer that question?"

She opened her mouth to reply, but the "doorbell" rung and I jumped out of my seat. I still wasn't used to all of this.

"You better thank whoever that is, because they just saved your arse." She growled, standing up as strutting to the large door with a frown on her face and her fists clenched. I watched as she opened the door, her grumpy, frowning face soon changing to one of happiness.

"I don't have much time," I heard a male voice from beyond the doorway. "I've got a meeting about the woodwork in the dining room."

"We'll make it snappy." Shane nodded and opened the doorway, allowing Mark to walk inside.

"My boy," He nodded to me.

"Mark," I nodded back, all anger towards Shane being forgotten.

Shane shut the door and pulled Mark over to the armchair to my left. He sat down gratefully and we both watched her as she walked past me and sat in the armchair to my right. This left me alone on the couch. I could honestly say that I'd wanted her to sit beside me.

"Mark, you remember when I was little and was obsessed with nymphs and warlocks, right?" She asked after settling herself in the large, leather armchair.

"Are you comparing me to a nymph?" I asked, sitting stick straight and glaring at her.

She threw a hostile glare in my direction "Sirius," She muttered angrily. "Shut up."

I immediately shrunk upon her gaze. She really was like a Banshee when she was angry. "Yes dear…" I mumbled to her.

"You remember, don't you Mark?" She asked, finally looking away from me and towards the large man to my left.

He was smiling slightly, and his legs were crossed. He nodded. "Yes, I remember." He set his elbow on the arm of the chair and set his head in his hand. "How is that relevant?"

I sighed and leaned my head back as Shane took control of the situation. "Perhaps I should tell you the entire story," She said.

"Dear God, no," I interrupted. "Too long. Just do it quick, just tell him and answer any questions he had afterward. It'll be easier."

She was glaring at me again. "Fine, you tell him then." She gestured at Mark, a deep scowl on her face.

I nodded and sat up straight. "I'm a wizard." I said, staring Mark straight in the eye.

He seemed to not have heard me. He didn't move, his face didn't twitch in the slightest, and he didn't look away. Perhaps he really _hadn't_ heard me.

So, I tried again. "I said, I'm a wiz-"

"I heard you, lad." Mark said, his face finally gaining some emotion. It wasn't what I'd thought it would be though. I thought there'd be shock and amusement on his face, but that wasn't the case. He seemed… curious? No, intrigued. Yes, he seemed intrigued.

"And you actually believe him?"

My eyes flashed to Shane. She was watching the scene with wide eyes.

Mark smiled at her. "Well, you obviously do, so it must be true." He turned to me. "If this is such a big secret, how is it that Shane knows as well?"

"I'm sort of one, too." She answered for me.

"Sort of?"

She sighed. "It's complicated, and the story's too long, as Sirius said before."

Mark stood suddenly. "Then you'll have to tell me sometime," He smiled at both of us. "However, I've gotta get going." He walked past me and gently leaned down to kiss Shane's forehead. "Tell your parents I said hello, alright?"

She smiled and nodded.

"Good to see you, Sirius."

I nodded in response.

He smiled one last time and left, shutting the large door behind him.

Once he was out the door, Shane turned to me. "That was a lot easier than I thought it'd be." She said, flashing a smile. "I didn't think he'd believe it without evidence."

I snorted. "You make him sound like one of your muggle judges."

She smiled at me. "Thank you," She mumbled. "For telling him. It wouldn't have felt right to lie to him."

I nodded and patted my lap. She understood the gesture and stood to quickly walk over and sit in my lap. My arms instinctively wrapped around her waist and she set her head against my shoulder.

"Don't you think I deserve a little something-something for giving up such an important part of my life for you?" I smirked and turned my head to look at her. Our lips were inches apart. I wanted her to kiss me _so_ bad.

She smirked back at me. "Of course," She whispered. She leaned towards me, her lips barely sweeping against my own. Suddenly, she pulled her lips away from mine and kissed my cheek.

"Oh, come here!" I yelped. I grabbed her thighs and made her straddle my waist. I crashed my lips into her own, and I felt her react hotly. Her lips felt swollen against my own, and that did nothing but make me press my lips against hers even harder.

Soon enough, I had her pinned against the couch. We hadn't done something like this in a while. It felt good to be so close to her again. Now there was only one thing that could stop us from going too far. That thing was-

"What the hell is going on?"

Her dad.

Suddenly, Shane and I were on opposite ends of the sofa. Her hands were in her lap, and mine were frantically trying to straighten myself out. Taking a cautious glance at her, I saw that her face was red as a tomato.

"N-Nothing…" She stuttered, clearing her throat.

"It didn't look like nothing." Mr. Spencer came further into the room. His face was just as red as Shane's, but this wasn't out of embarrassment. "You two- You're- I can't-" He growled and stomped back out of the room.

I looked over at Shane. Her hands were shaking, and I could see the tears that were threatening to spill over her eyes. I scooted closer to her and set my arm around her shoulders, kissing her hair line as I whispered things like "it's alright" and "you're okay."

I listened as shouting began emanating from upstairs. It was Mr. Spencer and Scarlett. They went back and forth for a moment or two, and then a loud sound, not unlike a door slamming, made Shane jump. Then, after another few moments, Scarlett walked into the room, a scowl on her face.

"I'm sorry," She apologized to me. "Just give him some time to cool off, sweetheart." She knelt beside the sofa and ran her hand over Shane's hair.

I looked down at Shane with a small frown on my face. It was then, watching Shane cry, that I made a decision. I decided to win Mr. Spencer over with my sports skills.

**N/A: It's a bit early, I know. But, I've got a couple more chapters all finished, and I thought I'd post this as a sort of extra thing to add to your Easter basket. On that note, Happy Easter! I hope it's going well for all of you! I know it's going _great_ for me! My parents always give us these baskets, and I got a bunch of candy, some new headphones (I lost the ones I bought not even three months ago), and an iTunes gift-card. **

**Anyways, now you see how Mark's going to play a bit of a part. And Mr. Spencer kinda bugs me in this chapter, but he'll get better. I promise you that! I'd I'm gonna get some Josh drama in within the next couple of chapters! **

**Have a great Easter everyone!**

**R&R  
**


	32. Memories of Hazel Eyes

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of this, sadly. If I did… Well, let's just say I know what I'm asking for when Christmas rolls around.**

**Shane Spencer**

June 23rd, 1978

"Where to first?" Josh asked me as we walked down Hollywood Boulevard.

I smiled. "I don't know," I answered, looking around at all of the people and cars. "You decide."

He nodded, grabbed my hand and began pulling me through all of the people. He started talking to me about something, but I wasn't really listening. I was thinking about Sirius.

Alright, that's how the day started. It was all alright. Sirius and I woke up and met in the hallway (we'd decided not to share a room, just to be safe). My mother was already downstairs when we'd gotten there, eating a rather plump omelet. We'd started talking about this and that, and then my father came in.

"Are you ready?" He'd asked Sirius when he walked in. He didn't even look at me.

However, my pain was soon overcome with curiosity. What was he talking about? Ready for what?

Then I noticed my father's clothing.

He was dressed in black slacks, a white polo, a white driving cap, and black leather shoes. He was tugging at a leather glove that he'd been wearing on his right hand, as well.

He was still going golfing? And with Sirius at that?

"Oh, um, yes sir."

I looked over at Sirius. I hadn't even realized he was wearing the golf outfit Maria and I had designed for him. It was indeed flattering. The sweater vest clung nicely to his well build torso, and his arms were stressing the fabric of the T-shirt. How could I have missed that?

And that was why I was thinking about him. I was worried my father was going to eat him alive for what he'd seen us doing the day before. Sirius was a big guy that could no doubt hold his own in a fist fight, but bulk was no match for my dad when he was angry.

"Shane, are you listening to me?"

I snapped out of my thoughts to see Josh standing above me. His eyes were full of worry.

"Oh, no, sorry," I mumbled, looking around at my surroundings. We were in a park. "Is this-"

"Yup, the park that you had your third birthday at." He answered proudly, sticking his chest out.

I smiled and took a step forward. Josh and I had met in this park, on the exact day he was speaking of. My third birthday. The party was mainly made up of my father's clients and associates, but a couple of the clients had kids my age and they came. Josh hadn't exactly been invited to my party, but his house was only a block away from the park and his mom had brought him there.

Suddenly, I thought back to that day.

* * *

The sand box. Every child's favorite part of the park. I was sitting in it, shoveling the sand onto my plump toddler legs using a yellow plastic shovel. I was as at peace as any three year old could be, smiling and making myself dirty so my father would have to clean me off later.

However, that peace ended.

As I watched sand pour from my little shovel, sand flew up from nowhere and landed roughly on my eyes, which were still green at that time. Some of the sand went down my little pink T-shirt that had the Disney logo on it, and some of it even got in my mouth.

I cried out, coughing and rubbing my eyes. "Daddy!" I yelled in my high toddler voice. "Daddy!"

"Oh, don't cry!"

Still rubbing my eyes, I looked up at who'd kicked the sand at me. There was a boy. He had blonde hair, freckles and huge, black eyes. His hands were reaching out to me.

"Meanie!" I yelled at him, getting on my small feet and sticking my tongue out at him. I reached out and pushed him. He fell backwards, tripping on the wooden edge of the sand box.

"Mommy!" He yelled as he fell to the ground. Then he raised his arm and looked at his elbow. The skin had been torn away and it was bleeding horribly.

My eyes went wide and began to water. "I'm sowwy!" I yelped, throwing myself to my knees beside him. "Mommy always tells me boo-boos feel better when they get kissed," I suddenly yelped as I grabbed his arm. I bent down and pressed my lips to the cut, but pulled away when blood swelled into my mouth.

He continued crying as I used my small hands to wipe my lips, now covered in blood. I thought I must've looked like Mommy with her lipstick on.

"Owee!" He yelled.

I watched with wide eyes as a woman that looked much like the boy ran over and helped him to his feet. Her hair was blonde, too, but she didn't have the freckles and the black eyes. Hers were blue, like the sky.

"Josh!" She yelped. She gently grabbed his arm and looked at him elbow.

"I'm really sowwy…" I mumbled, tears falling over my eyes.

"Shane, we're leaving!" My father waded through the crowd, his hair still completely brown.

I looked over at him, and then back to the boy. In a sudden act of three-year-old foolishness, I bent down and hugged the boy. "I'm sowwy…"

I felt the boy's thin arms wrap around me, and I couldn't help but to smile. I knew at that point that we were friends.

* * *

I smiled and looked at the sand box. It seemed incredibly small compared to how it was back then. I guess that was just because I'd gotten bigger.

"Now I feel like watching some home movies." I said, looking to Josh. He'd changed a lot since that day.

"Y'know what," He said, smiling over at me. His teeth were _really_ white. "Me too, let's go." He grabbed my hand and pulled me back out onto the road, heading for the Mustang again.

* * *

I sat on the couch in the living room, Josh to my right and Amanda to my left. We'd picked her up on our way home. After all, she was in half of the videos we were watching. Josh had whined a little bit, but he got over it as soon as we pulled into her driveway.

Currently, we were watching a video of Josh and I when we were in middle school. We'd just formed a small acoustic band, and were practicing in his garage.

"Oh, look at you two!" Amanda squealed, as Josh started plucking at his guitar. I began to sing. "You were so adorable back then!"

"Back then? What are we now?" I asked, a playful frown on my face.

"Oh, well," She started, a smile on her sharp features. "Josh is sexy, and you're ugly as my chinchilla."

I shoved her and started laughing. Josh chuckled with me, but his face was flushed red. His eyes kept flashing between me and Amanda, almost as if he was nervous. However, I knew that wasn't possible. Even as a small, nerdy guy he was confident enough for three people.

I sighed and looked back at the screen. Josh and I weren't rehearsing any more, we were just laughing as his parents clapped for us. I watched myself bow with a smile on my face. My eyes were still hazel in the video. I'd have to show it to Sirius so he could see what I looked like before I knew him.

As if on cue, the door opened and Sirius stepped inside, my father at his side. They were laughing. Actually _laughing_.

"Oh, Shane, your boy's a natural!" My father laughed, clapping Sirius on the shoulder. "He got a birdie on the third hole!"

My eyes widened in surprise for two things. First, my father seemed to like Sirius. Second, Sirius had done _well_ in golf? He knew nothing about the sport. How could he simply do _well_?

Sirius winked at me. "What is that?" He asked, walking over and leaning on the couch behind me. He set his chin on my head when I looked back at the screen. At first I was nervous my dad was gonna get angry and yell like he had yesterday, but then I remembered that he liked Sirius now.

"Oh, um, videos from my youth." I told him, gesturing to the brown-haired preteen on the screen. Now I was at a picnic table in a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. I flashed the peace sign at the camera and turned back to the hot dog on a paper plate in front of me.

"That's you?" He asked, his hands weaving around my shoulders.

I nodded. "And that's Josh." I pointed at the skinny blonde boy that was shown sitting in a canvas chair beside a fire. "And Mark." A man cooking at a portable gas stove. "And those are my parents." A couple was shown sleeping in a hammock. Well, my mother was sleeping. My father was waving at the camera, his free arm around her waist.

"We used to go camping together a lot." Josh mumbled, sounding slightly agitated. I guess he didn't like Sirius that much.

Sirius smirked and opened his mouth to say something, but shook his head and closed it once again, deciding against it. He was probably going to say something witty, but chose not to for my sake.

I smiled at the thought and leaned back against the leather of the couch. I watched as Josh and I had a water fight in the lake.

"Well," Sirius stood up straight again. "I'm going to go change. I'll be right back." He bent down to kiss my cheek and then raced away from the couch, up the stairs.

Amanda smiled at me. "He just gets more and more charming," She said, poking my arm. "I might just have to steal him from you."

I laughed. "You'll do no such thing!"

She laughed with me, and neither of us noticed Josh stand up and pull his coat on his shoulders. Well, not until he started walking towards the door.

My laughing stopped abruptly. "Where are you going?" I asked, leaning over the back of the sofa and looking at him curiously.

He looked at me. "Home," He answered. "My mom'll want me back for dinner soon. Amanda, are you coming with?" He sounded monotone. I'd never heard him sound monotone. Never.

"Um, yeah," Amanda mumbled, standing up as well. "He's my ride home." She told me, a small smile on her face. "See you later." Then, she ran after Josh.

"Yeah, later…" I mumbled as they walked out the door.

What was that all about?

The room suddenly felt very empty. A few moments ago I'd been laughing and poking fun at my friends, but now I was alone. For the first time I could actually hear what the little people in the video were saying.

"Where'd they go?" I turned around to see Sirius walking towards me, once again in his jeans and T-shirts.

I smiled. "They had to go," I told him, watching as he walked over and set himself where Josh had been not even a minute ago.

"Yes, well, now I've got you all to myself." He mumbled, leaning over and kissing the patch of skin along my jaw and beneath my ear.

I chuckled. "I want to show you something." I told him, grabbing the remote and pushing the fast-forward button. I heard the tape speeding along their little wheels and paused it when it got to the most recent tape. Finally, I pushed play.

I saw me in the back of a limo, a long, black stretch. Josh sat to my right, but that wasn't what I was focusing on. I waited until there was a good view of my face and paused it.

"Do you see?" I asked, pointing at the screen.

He smiled. "Of course, hazel eyes. Attractive, but I must say I prefer the gold." He chuckled. "When was this?"

The small smile that had appeared on my face faded. "Christmas Eve, 1976…" I mumbled. "This was the day that I ran away from home and met Dumbledore."

He was staring at me. "Are you alright?" He asked, running his hand through my hair and pulling my bangs back out of my eyes. "You look a bit sad."

I shook my head. "I'm fine."

He smiled. "Good," He stood, holding his arm out to me. "Now, let's go upstairs for some 'alone time.'"

I smiled back and stood as well, grabbing his arm as we almost skipped up the stairs and into his bedroom.

* * *

It was dark. It was late. The moon was above head, suggesting it was the middle of the night. I was asleep, Sirius beside me with his arms around my waist. My head was resting gently on his chest, going up and down with the motion of his breathing. It was relaxing, and my favorite way to sleep.

Slowly, my eyes began to open. Why the hell had I woken up? I never woke up in the middle of the night.

I sighed and closed my eyes again, listening to the steady beat of Sirius' heart. However, I soon heard a sound that wasn't quite so sweet.

_Tap, tap… Tap, tap…_

My eyes flashed open and I looked at the window. That had been the sound of a beak on glass, which normally meant an owl. What would an owl possibly be doing here? And in the middle of the night?

Proving my suspicions, an owl was perched on the window sill, tapping the glass repeatedly. I didn't recognize it, so it wasn't James' or Lily's, or Remus' or Peter's.

I groaned and elbowed Sirius.

He groaned in response, pushing me away slightly. "Stop that…" He mumbled groggily.

I furrowed my brow and elbowed him again. "Sirius, get up you fowl git!" I whispered fiercely. This obviously woke him up.

"I'm not fowl, and I'm not a git!" He whispered back, equally as fierce.

I smiled and nodded. "I know, I just needed a way to wake you up."

"Why's that…?" He asked, lying back down.

I nodded towards the window. "There's an owl that I don't know," I told him. "I thought it might be for you."

He groaned. "An owl? At this time of night? You're just trying to piss me off, aren't you?"

I smiled. "Fine, I'll get it." I snatched the blanket off his body and wrapped it around me as I got off the bed. I paced over to the window and opened it, allowing the owl to swoop inside and land on the footboard of the bed.

I shut the window and turned around to see Sirius finally going over to the owl on his knees. He pulled the string from its leg and allowed a small piece of rolled up parchment to fall into his hand. I walked over as he unrolled it and began to read its contents. His face dropped.

"What is it?" I asked, gently removing it from his hands and looking at what was written on it.

_Dear Sirius,_

_It's been a long time, hasn't it? I only wish it could've been on better terms. You see, our dear Uncle Alphard passed away yesterday. I know you were closest to him, so I thought I'd get this out to you before the invitation for the funeral arrived._

_I know it's a drastic change of subject, but I heard you met someone finally. I heard Regulus talking about her over Christmas Break. He seems to have quite the admiration for her. Don't let him steal her away._

_Hoping to see you soon,_

_Andromeda_

I had to reread the note three more times before I could truly comprehend what it was saying. Sirius' uncle had died. What's more, it was one he got along with. As far as I'd been told, Sirius didn't get along with many of his family members.

"We're going to the funeral, aren't we?" I asked.

He held his arms out, his eyes begging me to wrap him in my arms. I'd never seen him so… vulnerable. He looked like a lost little puppy.

So, of course, I wrapped my thin arms around him, rubbing his back and telling him it would be alright. His arms wrapped around me as well. He buried his head in my shoulder, and he pulled me closer.

"It's alright, Sirius," I mumbled into his hair, closing my eyes. "You're gonna be alright."

"I wanted you to meet him," He choked on his words. "You would've liked him. He was the one that gave us the tickets to go to the Quidditch World Cup."

I listened carefully to what he was saying. He was shaking by now, and that was causing me to shake with him. I'd always wondered how he'd gotten those tickets…

"He would've liked you too. He would've smothered you with all sorts of things, just for being with me." He kissed my jaw line. "I'm going to miss him…"

I ran one of my pale hands through his long, black locks. "I'll be here to miss him with you." I said, pulling him tightly against me. "Let's go back to sleep. It might do you some good." I gently pushed him away and stroked his face.

He slowly nodded, wrapped me in his arms, and laid down. He ran his hand through my hair over and over again as I closed my eyes, listening to his heartbeat. Slowly, we both fell asleep. I knew that, while I dreamed of a young Sirius Black playing with a man in a large library, he wasn't so fortunate.

**A/N: First of all, I know this is really late. Like, super-duper-uber late, and I have an excuse. See, I sprained my pinky-finger on Saturday, and I couldn't bend it so I couldn't type. **

**Now, onto my serious bits about the story. I've decided to make most of my chapter from here on out from Shane's point of view. I like writing as Sirius, but it gets really hard to keep him in character that way, and it makes it hard to keep up with my writing. Plus, I feel like I haven't been showing Shane's point of view enough lately. **

**Onto my next point. You all remember that little memory of Shane's in this chapter. Well, I said this was her third birthday. In an earlier chapter, I had Shane say that she met Josh when she was eleven. I realize this little accident, so I just wanted to point it out so I hopefully don't make the same mistake again. **

**I love you guys! ^_^  
**


	33. The Funeral of Alphard Black

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sirius, Alphard, or Andromeda. However, I **_**do**_** own Shane and her sexy little dress. ;)**

**Shane Spencer**

June 26th, 1978

I didn't know about the black dress I was wearing. It seemed too… showy for a funeral. My mother had picked it out, and Sirius said I looked wonderful, but I still didn't know about it. It seemed too short. So short that I felt it was disrespectful. Sirius kept telling me some eye-candy would keep him from crying, and I'd just roll my eyes and try to pull the skirt down.

There were also the heels my mother had picked out. I'd always hated heels, and these were the ones I hated most. Tall, black stilettos with no toe. Again, I thought they were disrespectful, and I'd have rather worn flats.

As Sirius and I walked into a large hall that could've occupied a hundred people but only had about twenty, I tugged at my skirt. He had my arm through his and was leading me further into the hall.

By then, I'd stopped fiddling with the dress and was looking around. The ceiling was high and vaulted, and the walls were lined with stained glass. It seemed like a perfectly normal church. Well, normal beside the people in it and all of the floating candles.

"Sirius!"

My head turned as if my own name had been called. It was a woman. She looked to be a couple years older than I was, and she was beautiful. Her brown hair cascaded down her shoulders in gentle curls, and her light brown eyes shone with grief and sadness, but slight happiness when they landed on Sirius.

"Andromeda!" Sirius yelped, sliding away from me and hugging the woman.

Andromeda… the one that wrote the note? I'd expected her to be different. Not so stunning. I'd expected black hair and black eyes, like Sirius or Regulus. Instead, I get someone who looked so innocent and sweet and nothing like either of the boys.

"Andy, this is Shane." I smiled at the woman as Sirius gestured to me.

"Ah, so this is the girl that's lucky enough to have my cousin?" She mumbled, smiling kindly at me. "How's he been treating you? Well, I hope."

I nodded. "He's very good to me."

"Good," She turned to Sirius again. "There's something I need to talk to you about. In private."

He looked at me. "Will you be alright?"

I nodded again. "I'll find something to do."

"Alright, don't let any of my relatives talk you into bets or anything." He warned me. "Lead the way, Andy." Slowly, they left. Sirius cast a couple of nervous glances at me before disappearing into a side room.

I sighed and tugged at my skirt as I paced to one of the stain glass windows. My finger traced the metal wiring that separated the colors. I could hear the rain pattering against the window, and I could see the drops running down the glass. It seemed cliché, seeing as we were at a funeral.

"You look beautiful."

I knew who it was even before I turned around, and I was dreading seeing his face. I hadn't seen him since Hogwarts, and it hadn't really been a pleasant encounter.

"Regulus?" I asked as my eyes caught sight of the handsome young man. He looked stunning, in a complete suit. He looked taller, too. It must have been a growth spurt. "What are you doing here?"

He chuckled. "Opposite contrary belief, I loved my Uncle Alphard." He answered. His eyes were soft as he looked down at me. "I'm sorry, for our last meeting. It was very rude."

I nodded. "Yes, it was."

He smiled at me, his black eyes shining. "You're here with Sirius, aren't you?" It wasn't really a question, more like a statement.

I nodded again. "He needed someone with him when he mourned. You should've seen him when he got the letter from Andromeda."

"I can imagine," He told me, taking a step forward. "He was closer to Uncle Alphard than anyone else."

"I'd guessed that." He nodded, but said nothing, so I turned back to the window.

"You really do look beautiful," He mumbled. Then he continued, even though I hadn't turned to him. "I think, for the first time in my life, I'm jealous of my brother because he has something I don't."

I turned to look at him now. He was smiling sadly, and he was closer to me now. Not close enough to kiss me, but close enough to grab me if he wanted to.

"It's too bad things didn't work out between us." Then, he took the final step towards me, and kissed my forehead. His hand found their way to my upper arms, and his lips lingered for a moment or two. "Goodbye."

He was gone. He'd left out the door before I could even see him move. He hadn't even gone to pay his respects to his uncle. He just left. Maybe he hadn't been here for his uncle. Maybe he'd come because he knew Sirius was going to be here, and that I'd be with him.

I shook the thought out of my mind and turned back to the window again. The rain was still pouring down, and I was glad that Sirius and I were just going to Apparate back home.

However, my mind stopped wandering when I heard someone behind me whisper Sirius' name.

"That's Sirius' girlfriend, isn't it?" I heard a high pitched voice whisper.

"I think so," This voice was masculine and deep. "She looks how Regulus described her."

"She looks too good for him," The high voice said. "Honestly, that boy couldn't take care of a _rock_ properly. Regulus, on the other hand, I think he would take _wonderful_ care of such a beautiful girl."

I was about to turn around and tell them that Regulus was abusive, and Sirius only had my best interests at heart, but I was stopped by a large, warm hand on my shoulder. It spun me around, and I found myself face-to-face with Sirius again.

"I've got something to tell you." There was a smile on his face, despite the fact that we were at his uncle's funeral.

"What is it?"

His smile grew. "Andy just showed me Uncle Alphard's will. He gave me _everything_. That includes his flat in London." He grabbed my shoulders gently. "We can move in in a week."

"A flat? He gave you a flat?" I asked, my eyes going wide. "Can he do that?"

Sirius smirked. "Course he can, he owned the entire complex." He brushed a stray hair out of my face. "He also gave his entire fortune to me. We can go anywhere, do anything."

I frowned slightly. "That's wonderful, really, but don't you think we should be mourning instead of jumping for joy?" I asked. "I mean, we're at his funeral after all."

His smile was wiped from his face, and he nodded. "You're right, we should go pay our respects." He grabbed my hand and slowly pulled me towards the casket at the front of the room.

There were even more of the stained glass windows here, but all of the light came from the floating candles that hung around. The casket was glossy in the dim lighting, and I could see a middle-aged man on the inside.

The man had black hair, just like Sirius. However, this man's hair was short, and there were a couple a gray hairs in there. His complexion was pale, and I could see dark irises through his nearly transparent lids. He was wearing a black tuxedo, and his hands were folded on his stomach. He looked like he was sleeping.

"Shane, my Uncle Alphard." Sirius mumbled, staring intently at the man.

I frowned slightly. "I can see the resemblance."

"You shouldn't," He sighed. "He's my mother's brother, and I look nothing like my mother."

"So you look like your father?"

"Sort of, but people tell me I look most like my grandfather." He smiled over at me. "They tell me I have my mother's eyes though."

I nodded. "You do," I told him. "Personally, I think they look better on you than her."

He snorted. "Everything looks better on me." He smirked over at me. "Hell, I'd look sexy in that dress you're wearing."

My mind formed a mental picture of Sirius in this tiny, sexy dress I was wearing. It was hilarious. I even put him in the heels.

I sneered with him. "I think you should stick to jeans."

"Agreed."

* * *

The ceremony was sad, but beautiful. Sirius and a couple of the other Blacks stood up to speak about Alphard. It was nice, hearing that Sirius had had at least one stable adult in his family. It was nice to hear that there was more than one Black that didn't care about blood.

After the ceremony, I thought we'd be going back home. However, Sirius had other plans.

"James and Lily live about ten minutes from here, and I'm guessing Lily'll want to see you in a dress." He mumbled as we filled out of the church. He grabbed my hand and began pulling me onto the sidewalk.

"Sirius," I whispered as we began to walk, and watched as several men's' eyes were following me. "Can we just Apparate there?"

His eyes followed mine. We were now looking at a rather shady, middle-aged man with a cigarette in his mouth. His eyes were on my arse, and it was really starting to make me sick.

"I think that's a wise idea…" He whispered back. He grabbed my hand and we ducked into an alley, quickly Apparating from the spot to another road, one I didn't recognize.

I looked around at my surroundings. There was a dirt road beneath my feet, and a small, stone wall ran the length of it. There were several gates in the wall, all leading to a large cottage. Sirius was looking at one of the cottages in particular. The cottage was white with brown trim, and sat in a bright green lawn. It seemed cozy.

"Is that their house?" I asked, looking up at him.

He nodded. "C'mon, let's see if they're home."

He held my hand tightly as he pulled me through the wooden gate, and up the path of rough, rust-red stones that led to the house. I admired the lawn a bit more as we stepped onto the little porch-like-thing at the front of the cottage. There were several flowers panted along the front of the house, and a couple of dandelions were dying (winter would soon be here) near the wall.

"I wonder how they're doing…" I thought out loud as Sirius stretched to ring the doorbell.

"I'm sure they're all hunky-dorey," He smiled over at me. "After all, it's Prongs we're talking about."

I chuckled and nodded in agreement. "I'm sure Lily's been keeping him _somewhat_ in line, too."

We ceased our talking when we heard shouting inside, first a high voice, and then a lower one. Then there was a pounding sound, and a creak as the door flew open. It was then that I saw a red faced Lily, glaring at us with a rather sharp knife in her hand.

"Are you murdering James?" I asked, an excited smile coming to my face. "Can I help?"

"Shane!"

Next thing I knew, a thin pair of arms were wrapped around my neck, and something sharp was jabbing into my shoulder. However, I heard Sirius yelp and the jabbing was gone. That wasn't the only danger I nearly escaped though. I couldn't breathe.

"Lily!" I managed to gasp, scratching at her arms and trying to remove her from my person.

"Whoops," She leapt back, her arms folded behind her. "Sorry, it's just wonderful to see you."

The bright smile came back to my face. "Of course it is, I'm amazing." I told her matter-of-factly. "Now, can we murder James or do we have to torture him or something?"

"Oh, um, no," She mumbled. "I was cooking dinner. Would you two like to join us?"

"Food!" Sirius yelped and pushed past Lily. We both watched with a curious look on our face.

Finally, I shrugged and copied Sirius, pushing past her and running into the house. I only stopped when I found Sirius, staring at something with wide eyes.

I pushed him out of the way (it was actually kind of easy, seeing as he was in some sort of shock) in order to see what he was staring at. As he stumbled to the side, I saw what it was. My jaw went slack, and my eyes went just as wide as Sirius'.

"James?"

**N/A: Well, I meant to have this up really early this morning, and I almost did, but then something happened and everything I'd written disappeared. So, I said screw it and decided to post it later. **

**This chapter is suppose to be a sort of closing for the whole Regulus drama thing. I guess he'll be mentioned every now and again, but he won't physically (sort of) pop up again. Instead, I'm going for drama with two other characters, both of which I think you guys can guess. **

**I was going to write more here, but I'm not really in the mood. So I'll just leave it at what I've got. **


	34. The Apron

**Disclaimer: Let's see… I don't own Sirius, or Lily or James… I don't own the Order of the Phoenix either… Oh, dear… **

**Shane Spencer**

June 30th, 1978

"James?" I asked as my wide eyes started to water and an amused smile flashed onto my face. "What're you wearing?"

James was frozen in his spot, his wide, fearful eyes stuck on Sirius and I. A pan was in his right hand, but that wasn't what was so amusing. It was the white, floral-patterned apron he had tied around his waist and neck.

"Nothing!" He finally jumped and ripped the apron from his body as if we wouldn't see it. "Why are you here?"

"A couple of mates can't stop by unexpected at dinner time anymore? Why weren't we informed of this?" Sirius gestured between us, a teasing smirk sitting easily upon his lips.

James chuckled. "It's good to see you." He said, giving Sirius one of those man-hugs that I'd never really understand. "You too, little lady." He tugged at my thin strap on my shoulder.

I blushed, remembering the dress I was wearing and anxiously tugging at the skirt again. I nodded at him.

"Oh, I hadn't noticed the dress," I looked over my shoulder at Lily, who'd followed us into the little kitchen. "It looks nice, Shane. Where were you two that required such formal attire?"

I snorted. "A funeral."

"Oh, um…" Lily mumbled, looking me up and down.

"I told them it was disrespectful," I plucked at the dress. "They forced me into it. I would've rather worn slacks."

"Well, let's get you into something more comfortable, it looks like you really want to get out of that." She smiled at me and grabbed my hand. "James, finish with the soup and I'll be right back!" She pulled me out of the kitchen and back into the hallway I hadn't paid any attention to. Then, she pulled me up some stairs and into a large room with a large bed.

"So, you and James are doing alright?" I asked as she let go of my hand and walked over to a wardrobe.

"Oh, we've been fantastic!" She smiled at me as she pulled the wardrobe doors open. "The engagement is official, see?" She held up her left hand and I spotted a rather large diamond sitting on one of her fingers.

I smiled. "When's the wedding?"

"A month."

"Only a month?" I yelled, my eyes shooting wide. My mum had told me that her engagement to my dad had been six months long.

She chuckled and threw a sweater at me. "We don't want to waste any time." She threw a pair of sweatpants at me and walked over to the door. "I'll meet you back downstairs." Then she was out the door, leaving me to dress myself.

I sighed and looked at the sweater. It was a college sweater, so I assumed that it was either her father's or they'd been to a thrift store. I tossed it and the sweats onto the bed and pulled my heels off, the dress quickly following. Then I pulled the sweats on and the sweater over my head. I felt like I'd just gotten out of bed.

I ran a hand through my hair and opened the door. I then ran back into the kitchen. When I stepped in, Sirius was lounging on a chair with his jacket slung around the back. James was on the other side of the small table, talking about the wedding plans. Lily was at the stove, glancing at them when her name was said.

"Nothing big, really," James mumbled. "Honestly, neither of us wants something like that. Just a couple of close friends and family."

Sirius nodded.

"Shane, could you help me cut up the onions?" I looked over at Lily and nodded.

Sirius looked back when he heard my name, and frowned at me. "I really liked that dress…"

I chuckled and walked over to him, kissing him for a few moments. "Then I'll wear it again soon." I winked at him and walked over to Lily. She offered me a knife.

"Ah-ha, so _now_ we're going to kill James!"

"What was that, missy?" James sat up straight and glared over at me.

I smiled back at him. "Lily and I are plotting to kill you soon, so don't be surprised if you find us holding knives over your head tonight when you get in bed."

"You couldn't kill me even if you wanted to!" He yelped.

"Oh," Lily turned now. "Why's that?"

He smirked and stood, setting one of his feet on his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. He raised his chin and his glasses slid up his nose. "That, my dear, is because I'm amazing and you two would do anything to make me happy."

I let out a bark of a laugh. "That's funny, James! Really, have you thought about becoming a comedian?"

He glared at me and stuck his tongue out.

I chuckled and turned to the onions on the counter in front of me. I began chopping and the boys began to chat about what Sirius and I had been doing. I just chopped.

* * *

"Shane, have you spoken to Dumbledore recently?"

My eyes flashed from my soup to James, who was watching me over the rims of his wire glasses. I shook my head. "No, I'm not even sure he knows where I've been."

He nodded. "He visited us a week ago," He mumbled. "There's going to be an Order meeting next Sunday."

"Where?" I asked, forgetting my soup and leaning forward in my seat.

He shrugged.

"He didn't tell you?" Sirius asked beside me, leaning back in his chair and furrowing his brow.

Lily shook her head. "He couldn't, he's not sure where we'll be meeting yet." She smiled at me. "He said Hogwarts won't be the same when September rolls around."

I grinned. "Course it won't!" I yelped, getting to my feet. "There aren't going to be any crazy, random trouble-makers running around the halls," I gestured to James and Sirius. "There won't be the genius of the school," I gestured to Lily. "And there won't be the amazing, talented, brilliant, awesome non-human there!"

Sirius chuckled. "You really need to learn to keep your selfishness in check."

"You're one to talk!"

"You're both lost causes." James muttered.

"Are not!" Sirius and I yelled simultaneously.

Lily laughed, and James smiled over at her. "You're all hopeless, now sit down Shane."

I nodded and set myself gently back into my seat. "Anyways, I'm kind of excited for this whole Order thing," I began. "Doesn't it seem like a good replacement for all the _excitement_ Hogwarts provided?" I made the sarcasm in my voice evident.

James chuckled. "I sure hope it does, seeing as none of us have anything to do."

"No, _you_ have nothing to do." I told him. "Sirius and I are moving into an apartment in a week or so, and Lily's going to be planning _your_ wedding."

"You make me sound like a deadbeat of a fiancé."

"That's because you _are_ a deadbeat of a fiancé."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not!"

"Are too!" We were both on our feet by now.

"How do we live with this insanity?" I looked to Sirius, who had just asked Lily the question. She opened her mouth to answer, but I quickly interrupted.

"Well, James and I happen to be adorable as two puppies," I answered his question. "And you're both insanity junkies." I added as an afterthought.

They both glared at me.

"Very well put, mate." James held up his hand, and I gave him a high-five. "Couldn't have put it better myself, and that's saying something."

Lily started to fiddle with a chunk of carrot in her soup. "I hate puppies…"

* * *

I smiled and looked around Alphard's apartment. Boxes were stacked here and there, but not that many since Sirius and I didn't have much to begin with. There was furniture already placed, as it had been furnished for Alphard.

It was actually pretty big. It had a living room, two bathrooms, a bedroom, a kitchen and a dining room. I doubted that we'd be using half of the space, but it was still nice to have. I was guessing I'd spend most of my time in the living room.

"Not half bad, is it?" Sirius leaned onto me, a box gripped tightly in his arms.

"It's amazing," I smiled over at him. "A wonderful place to raise the kids!" A bright grin came to my face.

He just chuckled and shook his head, no doubt hearing my joking tone.

"I'll start unpacking." I grabbed the box from his arms and looked at the label he'd written onto it. It said 'Bedroom' in big, scribbled letters. So, that's where I went.

The bedroom was _huge_. Not even the master bedroom back home was this big. There was a large, king sized bed against the far wall, covered in a thick, red and gold comforter. Alphard must've been a Gryffindor. A small, bedside table sat on either side of the bed, each supporting a lamp. There was also a dresser against the wall to my right, and a set of double-doors to my left.

As I looked past the double-doors, I noticed a rather large tub and a counter that looked to have two sinks. The floor in there was tiled, and the real stuff, not linoleum. Even the walls were tiled. It looked like a really fancy bathroom, the sort I'd seen in five-star hotels.

"I hope this keeps up with your standards."

I jumped, the box slipping in my grip slightly. Sirius had magically popped up beside me, a box in his hands with the label 'Bedroom' as well.

"Don't do that!" I yelped at him, regaining my firm grip on the box.

He grinned at me. "Don't do what?"

I glared at him. "That."

"What's that?"

"I don't know, just don't do it, alright!"

He smiled and nodded, setting the box on the bed and using his wand to cut the tape. He opened it up and pulled out a pile of clothing. I recognized it as one of my many sweaters from home. However, I didn't recognize the small object that fell out of it.

Sirius ignored it and began to fold the sweater. I, however, bent down and grabbed the object from the floor.

"I can't believe I forgot about this…"

Sirius dropped the T-shirt he was folding and turned around, curiously glancing at my hands. "Can't believe you forgot what?" He asked, a curious and adorable look on his face.

I smiled and let my finger trace over the small, wooden turtle in my hand. "Kenneth's necklace. I'd forgotten it."

Sirius' large hand grabbed the turtle from me and spun me around with the other. I felt his warm hands at the nape of my neck as he laid the turtle across my collar-bone and fastened it tightly. "There, you look perfect."

I chuckled and glanced at him. "Really, trying to get in my pants isn't very attractive."

"Who said I was trying to get in your pants?"

"I just assumed…"

"What, I can't compliment my amazing, perfect, beautiful girlfriend every now and again?"

"Oh, now I know you're trying to get in my pants."

He chuckled, and spun me around again. Really, if he kept doing that I'd end up puking my guts down his chest. "Not at all."

Suddenly, his warm, soft lips were pressed against mine. My eyes closed out of habit, and all thought of vomit was erased from my mind. As always, the kiss was slow, passionate and comfortable. As if it was meant to be. Even now, nearly half a year after we'd gotten together, his kisses made my knees weak and his eyes could make me melt. Especially when he was doing his puppy-dog thing.

He pulled his lips away from mine, his forehead lingering.

"Welcome home, Shane…"

**A/N: Ah, this is a celebration chapter! A celebration of many things. The first is my mom's graduation. She went back to college and her graduation was today... I'm so proud of her. The other is that there's only TEN DAYS OF SCHOOL LEFT! Yes, after those ten days, at least two hours everyday will be spent on Sirius and Shane... hopefully.**

**Ah, they have their own apartment now. I've got big plans for this apartment... Yes, my evil mind is working hard. Oh, what'd you all think of James as his apron? I was going to do something like have him wearing a dress, but changed my mind at the last second. Now I'm sad that I changed my mind, 'cause the dress would've been funny as hell.**

**My last little note is about how late this chapter is. It's been nine days since I last updated, and I apologize. I've got a lot going on right now, plus I'm sick. **

**Whoops, one last little thing. My favorite TV show LIE TO ME was cancelled... If any of you are Lie to Me fans, and you're sad they canceled, tell me. I'm planning on starting a petition to get it back on the air. **

**LIE TO ME FANS UNITE!  
**


	35. Meeting

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, really… Sadly… **

**Shane Spencer**

July 2nd, 1978

I stood at the head of our little group. Remus and Sirius behind me, whispering to each other, Lily and James following them with their hands connected, and Peter behind them, silent as the grave. Dumbledore was beside me, his hand gently guiding me through the long, twisting halls of one of the Order member's home.

I could hear him saying something about "seriousness of the situation" and "save the jokes for later" but I wasn't really listening. Sure, I nodded every now and then, but I wasn't processing the words. I was thinking about the oncoming meeting. I wasn't the only new member, but I had no doubt that the current members would judge my friends and I on our age.

"Do you understand, Shane?"

I blinked and looked up at him. "Yes, sir." I mumbled with a slight nod of my head.

"Good," He smiled down at me, and I did my best to smile back. "Now, all of you, try to be mature." He took a cautious glance at Sirius and James. They caught it and frowned.

"Can we be immature _after_ the meeting?"

I threw a glare in Sirius' direction. Despite his name, he had no idea how serious this was.

Dumbledore leaned towards me, his mouth now at my ear. "Try to control your partner, Shane." He whispered. He sounded serious, but I could still hear a hint of amusement.

I snickered. "I don't think that's possible, Professor."

He nodded, and looked at a large door behind him. "Welcome to the Order of the Phoenix."

* * *

I felt awkward, to say the least. I had no idea what any of the Order members were talking about. Some of them were debating about hiding places, and others were going on and on about where he'd go next. Dumbledore was in a small group of people standing in a corner, their heads bent and their voices hushed.

"What are we suppose to do?" I leaned over and asked Sirius, who was looking around just as confused as me.

He shrugged.

"Thanks, that was of great help." I mumbled sarcastically.

"You're welcome, love." He smiled perkily at me and I rolled my eyes. He was such a child.

I turned away from him and began to glace around again. We were in a dining room, with a long table, several chairs, and many fancy chandeliers that didn't do much to light the room. I still didn't know whose home this was. I wish I did. Maybe the owner could tell me where the bathroom was.

"Shane!"

My mind was instantly taken off my bladder. Instead, it went to Dumbledore, who'd called my name. He was now looking my way, along with all of the people whose heads had been bent beside his. He motioned for me to come to him, and I did. Maybe _he'd_ be able to tell me where the bathroom was.

"Shane, this is Benjy Fenwick," He motioned to a small, round man with red hair, large blue eyes, and an even larger smile. "Caradoc Dearborn," This man was tall and lanky with short, black hair and green eyes. He wasn't showing any emotion at all. "Sturgis Podmore," Another tall and lanky man, with straw-colored hair and dark eyes. "And Dorcas Meadowes." Dorcas was the only female in the group. She smiled at me with her light eyes and dark hair.

"I know Dorcas already," I mumbled. "She was a seventh year when I first came to Hogwarts."

Dorcas nodded. "I thought I recognized you." She smiled again.

"Sirius and James are here, too." I looked back at Sirius, who was nervously talking to a little, old woman that had walked up to him. I watched with interest as the woman lifted his chin, poked his arms, and tugged at his hair.

"Well, seems Sirius is doing well…" Dorcas was looking past me, watching the old woman as well.

I nodded slowly. "I should probably do something, but I don't feel like it…"

Dumbledore chuckled beside me, patting my shoulder. "Shane, these are the only members of the Order that know what you are. Well, beside your friends."

I furrowed my brow in confusion. "There are at least two dozen of us, why only these four?"

"W-We've got a… a spy… a-among us…" Benjy said with a stammer.

"A spy?" I asked, surprise coming to my face.

Dumbledore nodded. "I trust these four with my life, and I feel you should do the same."

I nodded slightly. "How do you know there's a spy? They obviously didn't just tell you."

He took a careful glance around, making sure no one could hear what we were talking about. "It's not a coincidence when three Death Eaters miraculously show up at the homes of an Order member and commit murder." His teeth barred subconsciously. I'd only seen him mad, but he seemed furious now. "Names haven't been released, and they never will. It should've been impossible for him to find any of them."

I nodded. "Alright, should I tell the other not to talk to anyone about me?"

He nodded in return. "Wait until after the meeting, though. You never know who's listening in on your conversations."

I nodded and glanced around. "Professor?"

"Yes, Shane?"

"Where's the bathroom?"

* * *

For a flat, it was amazing how many people fit inside. Of course, it was a rather large flat. Still, it was impressive. We'd all managed to fit the living room, and still quite comfortably. Sirius, Remus and I were on the sofa, James in the armchair with Lily on his lap, and Peter on the floor where he'd said he felt comfortable. I'd asked Dumbledore to come along, but he told me he had other things to do and that he'd feel rather out of place with a bunch of rambunctious teenagers.

"Alright, what'd you think about that really, _really_ tall guy in the corner?" I asked, snatching a box of Pumpkin Pasties from the coffee table at the center of us all and ripping the plastic off of it.

"He was… odd…" Lily giggled as James tried to kiss her. I rolled my eyes.

"I didn't like the way he kept looking at you…" Sirius mumbled, glancing at me. "I was about to throttle the guy when I caught him looking at your bum for the tenth time…"

It was my turn to giggle.

"Other than the strange people, it was interesting." Remus smiled, poking my shoulder.

I turned to him and nodded. "I'm honestly excited to help out," I said. "The sooner old Voldy's gone the sooner I can work on my plan for murdering James."

"We're leaving, Lily-Pad!" James jumped up from his spot, holding Lily tightly in his arms. "We have to put some charms on the house…" He glanced at me and I smiled up at him.

"Now, James, would you rather die at my hands or Voldemort's?"

"Neither, to be honest."

"Oh, you're no fun," I pouted, leaning back against Sirius' shoulder.

"No, I'm plenty of fun, you're just insane and unstable." James countered.

"Ah, but that's why you all love me! Because I'm amazingly insane and unstable."

He was silent then, just staring at me with wide, shocked eyes. Everyone else stared as well.

"She's got a point…" Sirius nudged me as he fished his arm over my shoulder and let it hang there. "We all do enjoy the occasional insane magical being."

I let out a bark of laughter. "Says the guy that's best friends with that." I pointed a finger at James.

"Excuse me, I'm not a 'that,' I'm an it. They're rather different, you see." James began to list of the qualities of a 'that,' and then went on to list the completely different qualities of an 'it.' I listened intently, trying to understand his odd logic.

These were the times that I lived for. Just talking with everyone, listening to them and watching them smile. There was nothing I enjoyed more than this. I didn't know if they felt the same way. I hoped they did.

**A/N: I KNOW, I KNOW, this is, like, three weeks overdue. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I've been, like, super busy again. My teachers thought it was fun to give us loads of homework the last week of school. The weekend before I was camping, and the week before that I was focused on basketball. **

**And I know this one's really short. I would've made it longer, but I thought this was a good place to end it. **

**Now, I might not post for a while. I'm in the midst of a writer's crisis: I'm unsure. About what, you ask? Well, everything. I'm not sure about the direction the story's taking, I'm not sure about how the characters are going to start acting, I'm not really sure about anything. So, I might end up rewriting all of the chapters I've made past this point (which currently stands at 1/2 of a chapter).**

**So, for these next few weeks, please bear (is that the right sort of bear?) with me. I've hit a rough patch.**

**Oh, and a quick thanks to Witchy Nike for her review and understanding of my life! THANK YOU!**

**In the words of Sherlock Holmes... Um... I can't think of a quote... Sorry... GOODBYE!  
**


	36. The Giants Cause a Fight

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter… Oddly, it feels good to be saying even **_**that**_** again!**

* * *

**Shane Spencer**

July 16th, 1978

Two weeks had passed since our first Order meeting, and nothing new had happened. A couple more meetings had been held, but each of them was just like the first. Well, the Fourth of July had passed, but no one celebrated it because we were in Britain. I'd gone home for a few hours, leaving Sirius behind to spend time with friends and family.

Still, nothing new.

It was kind of nice, not having anything to do, but it was also really boring. I'd taken an extreme liking to reading old romance novels and screenplays.

Sirius was bored too. I'd introduced him to the Rubik's Cube, and he got angry when he couldn't finish it. Instead, we tried playing checkers. That didn't work so well because he thought it would be like Wizard's Chess and he could command the pieces to move. He eventually resorted to either reading over my shoulder or sleeping.

Today had started just like every other day. I'd woken up in Sirius' arms and gotten dressed. Then I'd made breakfast (Sirius' portion would eventually get cold and he'd have to heat it up) and thrown myself into what Sirius had told me was his uncle's favorite armchair. I was in the middle of the screenplay for _Hamlet_. It was interesting, but Sirius didn't like it that much. He couldn't understand the words.

The day progressed as slowly as all the others. People could be heard outside through the open window, many of them just walking from one place to another. Several of the children who lived in this building also ran around out there. They were loud and obnoxious, but I didn't mind. I'd been the same way, once upon a time. It was around three in the afternoon when the normal schedule Sirius and I had become accustomed to was altered.

"Shane, Sirius, I trust you're in good health," Dumbledore stated the moment he suddenly appeared at the side of my armchair.

I jumped, _Hamlet_ jumping with me.

Dumbledore smiled at my reaction. "My apologies. I do suppose I should learn to not just pop in, hm?"

"Yeah, that would probably be a good idea," I sighed, my initial shock disappearing.

"Professor," Sirius mumbled, a confused tone in his deep voice, as he appeared in the doorway. "What are you doing here?"

Dumbledore smiled back at him, his blue eyes shining. "Sirius, you have been taking good care of her?" he asked, jerking his chin in my direction.

Sirius blinked. "I've been attempting to, yeah."

Dumbledore grinned, and turned to me again. "I have a task for you, Shane."

Slamming _Hamlet_ shut, I set it aside and nodded up at him. "What kind of task?"

"Perhaps we should discuss this further over tea," he muttered as he pulled his wand from the folds of his robes and gave it a gentle wave. A pot of tea appeared, floating in the air in front of him. "The Order wishes to ask something of you," he continued as he magically poured a cup of tea. "It requires your own personal… skills, per say."

"My _skills_?" I asked, eagerly taking the cup of tea he offered me. "You mean my freaky animal stuff?"

He appeared amused at that statement. "Precisely."

"What, exactly, do they want her to do? Hold on, I thought none of them knew about her," Sirius frowned, stepping further into the room. He was getting protective; I could hear it in his voice.

Dumbledore sighed. "There is a group of giants living somewhere in Ireland, probably the northern mountains. I wish her to simply go talk to them, and ask them not to join the Dark Lord's growing army. These orders do not come from them, but me, therefore also from the Order."

I bit my lip. "So, you want me to go _talk_ to them?"

He nodded. "Exactly."

I thought for a moment. I'd already made up my mind, though. "Yeah, okay."

"Wonderful! Good luck, Shane!"

And then Dumbledore disappeared.

"You can't be serious," Sirius crowed as he stepped even further into the room, stalking right up to me. "You're not just going to _go_, are you?"

"Well, it's not like I've got anything better to do," I said, looking up at him.

"Alright, that's fair, but you don't just go off to hunt down _giants_ when you're bored, Shane. You play chess, or read a book; you don't go on a bloody _suicide mission_!"

"You keep forgetting who I am."

His dark eyes flashed dangerously. "Shane…"

"I'm going to do this, whether you like it or not," I snapped, quickly getting to my feet. "I'm not a child, Sirius. I can make my own decisions."

"You're not going, Shane, and that's final."

That was the last straw. He wasn't my father, and I wasn't just going to let him treat me as if he was. So, this is what I did. I screamed in his face and Apparated home. I wasn't planning on staying long, only long enough to allow myself to cool down.

With a frustrated sigh, I glanced up at my childhood home. I loved my parents, but they weren't who I wanted to see right now. Within another second, I was standing in the driveway of a much smaller house. The blue paint on the paneling was chipping, and there were toys and other things littered in the dying grass of the front yard. The garage door was open, and two junky cars sat in it.

Stuffing my hands in the pockets of my sweat pants, I stomped up the little path to the front door and knocked on the milky glass. It took a few moments, but the door eventually opened.

"Shane?" Josh's mother asked as she kneed the door open, one of Josh's younger siblings on her hip. "Sweetheart, come in!" She opened the door further, and I tentatively stepped inside. "How've you been, dear?"

I smiled at the kind, aging woman. "I've been fine, Mrs. Edwards. I see you've been keeping yourself bust," I said as I held out a finger for the small child to hold tightly.

"Tom and Josh get along well, but he still wanted to _actually_ be a father," she laughed. "Josh is in his room." And then she turned to shuffle back upstairs.

I knew the Edwards household very well, having spent half of my childhood here. I remembered easily that Josh's room was downstairs, first door on the right. It had been a few years since I'd been there, and my mind easily began to wander, going over the old posters that had been on his walls.

With a smile on my face, I skipped down the stairs and quickly ran over to the door covered in familiar "danger: do not enter" signs. I knocked on the door.

"I'm busy, Mom!"

I smiled, and knocked again.

On the other side of the door, there was an audible groan, the all too familiar sound of a laundry basket hitting the wall, and then the door opened.

"Shane?" Josh asked, a look of confusion on his face.

I grinned at him, all thoughts of Sirius forgotten for the moment. "I'm sorry, if you're so busy, I can come back later."

He frowned. "I sure hope that was sarcasm, otherwise I'm sure you're going to sue me."

"I'm afraid I don't under-"

And then I was hoisted up and over his shoulder. I squealed as my head narrowly avoided the top of the doorframe. His broad shoulder heaving into my gut, he carried me into his room and tossed me onto his bed. With any other guy, I would've thought this was a little weird, but with Josh it was normal.

"What are you doing here?" he asked with a grin, turning away from me to grab a T-shirt from his closet. I'd hardly even noticed that he was shirtless.

"Oh, just had a tiff at home, and thought I might as well visit," I said, skirting around the fact that Sirius and I had been in an argument on purpose.

"What kind of tiff?"

"Oh, just, y'know," I started, watching as he pulled a tight-fitting shirt over his head and smiled at me, "just a tiff."

He folded his arms across his chest. "You're lying, Shane," he uttered with a frown.

Knowing that I'd been caught, I shrugged. "I wanted to do something, and Sirius told me that I couldn't because he thought it would be dangerous, that's all."

"You know, if he were a good boyfriend," he said as he sat down next to me. "he'd offer to go with you."

Suddenly, something odd was in the air. Josh looked me in the eyes, the intensity in his face shocking. I'd seen this look before, but I couldn't recall where, and never on him. It was strange, seeing him wear it. Then, as he started slowly leaning towards me, I remembered where I'd seen that look. Sirius wore it before he was about to-

And all thoughts were cut off as Josh's lips gently covered mine, at least for a moment.

"Josh!" I yelped as I jumped away from him, falling onto the floor.

He scrambled to help me. "I'm sorry!" he said, his eyes wide as he reached out to attempt to aid me in standing. I refused his help, and got to my feet on my own.

"What the hell was that?" I shouted.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he repeated.

"Josh!" I didn't know what else to shout. Confusion was bubbling in my brain. "_Josh_!"

"I love you!"

All shouting ceased, and we just stared at each other. For a moment, I was surprised, and then I realized how obvious he'd been making it. I mean, his immediate despise for Sirius, all of the blushing, they were all signs. I'd just been too caught up in my own life to worry about his.

For the longest time, we just stared at each other. Neither of us said anything. To be honest, I think that's because neither of us knew _what_ to say. He seemed just as surprised that he'd said it. I could feel a lump building in my throat, and my palms were starting to sweat. This was not good. This was not good at all. I wanted to say something – to tell him that I felt the same – but that was impossible. I'd be lying.

"I've ruined everything, haven't I?" he asked, the shock lingering and mixing with the sadness that was now spilling across his features.

"I don't know, maybe…"

He sighed, and dropped back onto his bed, his head in his hands. I wanted to reach out to him in some way, but I didn't know how. With everything that had just happened, I was afraid to be within three feet of him. Maybe he really _had_ ruined everything. Maybe we'd never be the same way we were. A part of me ached when I even considered that. We'd been best friends for as long as I could remember, and he'd never once let me down. I didn't want to lose him now, no matter how strange things got.

"Josh…" I mumbled, biting my lip and wringing my hands. "You know that I don't…" I trailed off, unable to get the words to come out. "Right?"

He raised his face from his hands, a broken look in his eyes. "Yeah…" he uttered before dropping his face back into his palms. "A guy's gotta have hope, though…"

Once more, I felt the urge to reach out to him. I countered it by folding my arms behind my back and wrapping my fingers tightly around their opposite forearm. My mouth dropped open several times, only to close once it realized that words weren't going to come out.

Finally, I just stepped away.

"I have to go."

And then I was slamming his door behind me, and rushing upstairs. I called out a farewell to Mrs. Edwards before similarly slamming the front door behind me. In my panicked haze, I didn't bother to step into a dark shadow or behind something before apparating. I just disappeared, not caring who or what saw me.

I found myself in our apartment, mine and Sirius's. Everything was quiet, and not a single light was on. Sirius was out. To be honest, I was glad that he was. It gave me a little more time to think.

With a heavy sigh, I paced through the living room and into the kitchen. I slipped lightly on the tile as I pulled the freezer open and extracted a tub of ice cream from its cold recesses. I glanced at the label. It was Sirius's favorite, though not mine. With a shrug, I snatched a spoon from the drawer we kept the silverware in, and tore off the lid of the tub before throwing myself onto the wide counter that hugged the wall beside the fridge.

My thoughts started to roam as I slowly spooned the cold cream into my mouth. First, they went to the argument with Sirius. When I really put my mind to it, I could see his point. Well, I couldn't, but I tried looking through his eyes, and then I understood. He just didn't want me to get hurt. In one way it was incredibly sweet, but, in another, it was also incredibly selfish. He was both thinking about me, and about himself. Of course, I couldn't really expect anything else from him. I mean, he's Sirius. That's probably the best I'd ever get.

My mind suddenly did a one-eighty and shifted to what Dumbledore had told me he wanted me to do. I'd never dealt with giants before. Yeah, Hagrid was a half-giant, but that's a ways away from an _actual_ giant. Hell, I'd never even dealt with something _like_ giants! I'd always worked with something that couldn't speak. Giants actually had the intelligence to say something back to me. It was a strange concept to work around.

A loud crack suddenly resonated through the apartment, and I jumped, nearly sliding off of the counter.

In the middle of the living room, Sirius stood, staring at me awkwardly. His grey eyes shifted to his feet, and he tucked his hands in his pockets.

"Sorry," he mumbled, scuffing the tip of his shoe against the dark carpet.

I sighed. "It's fine, just don't apparate in here when I'm in the middle of a deep thought-"

"No, I meant about earlier…"

My eyes widened, and I stared at him for a moment. Finally, I held my spoon out to him, and he approached with a gentle smile on his forever handsome face. He took the spoon, and jumped up onto the counter beside me. As I reached for another spoon, he slipped a bit of ice cream from the pail and happily shoved it in his mouth.

"If you're gonna do this, though," he said, his words somehow managing to form through the melting ice cream in his mouth, "I want to come with. And Prongs and Moony, as well."

"I'm fine with you and Remus coming with, but James should stay to help Lily with the wedding plans. Why should he get to ditch and have a party with us while Lily sits at home going through flower magazines?"

Sirius contemplated this for a moment, looking up at the ceiling with the head of the spoon in his mouth. He looked so incredibly adorable in that moment, and I couldn't stop myself from setting my head against his firm yet surprisingly comfortable shoulder. I felt one of his strong arms wrap around my waist.

"Prongs won't be happy, but that sounds fair."

I nodded against his shoulder, and happily shoveled a generous amount of ice cream into my mouth. "Let's go to bed," I suggested. "James is no doubt going to give us hell when we tell him tomorrow, might as well be well rested for it.

Sirius's chuckles vibrated through his body. "Good idea." Then, he snatched the ice cream from my hands, put on its lid, and returned it to the freezer, following that up by throwing our spoons in the sink to be washed later. He then pulled me off of the counter, holding me tightly against his chest as my arms and legs wrapped around him to get a good grip, my head relaxing against his shoulder once more.

* * *

**A/N: Oh, wow, it's been over a year since I last posted. I never meant for the hiatus to go this long, but things happened, other men came into my life (don't worry, I still love Sirius very, very much), and so forth and so on. I really do apologize for being away so long, though. Those of you that are still here are absolutely brilliant! Oh, how my heart goes out to each and every one of you!**

**Um, let's see… First, I'd like to thank Witchy Nike for PMing me and helping me get back into the swing of things. Really, without her, I wouldn't be posting this right now. So, go, thank her if you enjoyed this!**

**Next, I'd like to say that I've changed a bit. My style of writing has grown, and I know a bit more about grammar, so little things will change. I severely apologize if anyone is out of character, as well. I've been away from Shane, Sirius, James, Remus, and Lily for so long that who they are is slipping past me a little bit… hopefully nothing was too far off the mark.**

**Really, the last thing I want to say is that updates are still going to come slow, but I'm not going to make you wait too long, hopefully. I haven't written anything for this story yet beyond what you've read, save for a few excerpts I wrote on a long car ride a month or so ago… Even those are questionable, actually.**

**Oh, wait, one more thing…**

**You make me… very happy… *grins down at you in my hands* **

**(and if any of you get that reference, I'll give you a virtual cookie xD)**


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